RAPID -IBD Study
The latest phase of the programme is the RAPID-IBD study, which explores whether home testing could help people access support sooner and reduce delays to diagnosis.
Funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the national patient charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK, the study explores whether directly providing people with a simple test can help them take greater control of their health.
Alongside changes within services, the team has also taken a creative approach to raising awareness and helping people recognise symptoms sooner, bringing together expertise from a local digital marketing agency, the Trust marketing team and the University of Exeter. This included the far-reaching ‘Know Your Sh*t’ campaign, supported by Exeter City Football Club defender Jack Fitzwater, who shared his own experience of living with ulcerative colitis.
RAPID-IBD has nearly reached its 5,000-participant target, with recruitment set to close ahead of schedule. This is a brilliant achievement for everyone involved and shows the value of making testing easier for people to access.
While the full study results are not yet available, the testing has already picked up unexpected findings in a small number of participants, including bowel cancer. Some of those participants were keen to share their experiences, helping to show how earlier access to testing can make a real difference.
HSJ Award Shortlisted
Royal Devon team shortlisted for improving IBD care
An innovative NHS programme improving how people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diagnosed and treated has been shortlisted for a national award.
Developed over more than a decade, a whole-system redesign of the regional IBD diagnostic pathway is transforming care for people living with the debilitating gut condition.
The programme team have been named finalists in the Clinical Pathway Redesign Award category at this year’s HSJ Awards.
IBD is an umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which affect 1 in 120 people in the UK. These lifelong conditions can cause unpleasant symptoms such as abdominal pain that won’t go away, diarrhoea that can’t wait, and blood in your poo.
Delays in diagnosis are common because people feel embarrassed or worried about seeking help. Around one quarter of patients experience symptoms for more than a year before diagnosis.
Led by the Royal Devon and the University of Exeter, the initiative has focused on redesigning the IBD diagnostic pathway across the region. This includes using digital health records to identify people who may have IBD sooner, supporting faster access to specialist clinics and dedicated endoscopy slots, and improving laboratory processes.
This redesign has made a significant difference, cutting referral-to-treatment time from 58 days to 34 days. It has also been linked with a 40% reduction in people coming to hospital as emergencies, and a 68% reduction in people needing surgery in the first year after diagnosis.
Vida Cairnes, Specialist IBD Nurse, said:
“We're delighted that the programme has been recognised by the HSJ Awards. The nomination reflects more than a decade of collaboration to improve how people with IBD are diagnosed and treated across our region.”
The programme has brought together expertise from across primary care, acute hospital services, patient and public engagement groups, charities and academic organisations, creating a more joined-up approach to identifying, diagnosing and supporting people with IBD.
It offers a model that other NHS services could adapt, improving quality of life for people with IBD.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this fantastic achievement, and good luck to the team at the awards ceremony in November.
CLARITY IBD
Exeter IBD and Pharmacogenetics Research Group taking home the ‘Research Team making an outstanding contribution to the NIHR portfolio studies’ award.
The Exeter IBD and Pharmacogenetics Group is headed up by Professor Tariq Ahmad, Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and a University of Exeter academic. The group includes 2 other Chief Investigators, Nick Kennedy and James Goodhand, 3 study coordinators led by Claire Bewshea, 2 laboratory technicians, a bioinformatician and a number of PhD students and overseas visiting fellows. The main aims of the research group are to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying treatment failure in patients with inflammatory bowel disease which affect 1% of the UK population. During the COVID19 pandemic the group have led the CLARITY IBD study, supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula, investigating the impact of biologic therapy on SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity. The group work with 90% of acute hospital trusts in the UK, the UK NIHR IBD Bioresource and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and with many international collaborators.
Professor Ahmad said: “This award recognises not only the infrastructure we have developed in Exeter to deliver multi-site research across all four nations of the UK, but most importantly the commitment and dedication of all the principal investigators and NIHR nurses at more than 120 hospitals who make up our extended research network.”
The BSG/NIHR CRN awards provide an important opportunity to further the joint commitment to encouraging research and showcase examples of excellence in the conduct of both gastroenterology and hepatology clinical research.
Dr Alistair McKinlay, British Society of Gastroenterology President said: “I am delighted to commend the winners of the very first joint British Society of Gastroenterology and NIHR awards. All of the applications we received were of an exceptionally high standard and it demonstrates the value that each of the winners has added to the field of gastroenterology and hepatology clinical research. Congratulations to the winners, the Society looks forward to building on this success next year.”