Inflammatory bowel disease service

We aim to increase your understanding of your diagnosis and provide the care and support you need to manage your disease and its symptoms. Your needs can change with different stages of the illness. We are here to make sure you get the clinical support you need.

If you are admitted to hospital, specialist nurses will visit you on the ward. We can help to explain treatments, medications and test results. We offer support and reassurance and help to keep you informed of your care plans.

After diagnosis and initial treatment you might need regular hospital follow up or shared care with your GP. 

We aim to increase your understanding of your diagnosis and provide the care and support you need to manage your disease and its symptoms. Your needs can change with different stages of the illness. We are here to make sure you get the clinical support you need.

If you are admitted to hospital, specialist nurses will visit you on the ward. We can help to explain treatments, medications and test results. We offer support and reassurance and help to keep you informed of your care plans.

After diagnosis and initial treatment you might need regular hospital follow up or shared care with your GP. 

Northern services

Our service is run by a team of professionals working together to provide support and management for patients suffering from Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

Eastern services

The Exeter IBD team looks after approximately 3,500 patients. We have a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experience but we all share one common goal: to make sure you receive safe, consistent, high quality, personalised care.

Gastroenterology Day Unit
Our day unit is run by the IBD nurse specialists. We administer intravenous treatments, such as infliximab, vedolizumab and iron infusions, as well as new therapies as part of clinical trials. The unit is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Research
We have an active research department. All of our patients are invited to take part in both local and national research studies. Your consultant or specialist nurse will discuss this with you. Please let your doctor or nurse know if you are interested in taking part in research. They will give you information on any studies that might be suitable for you. We have a dedicated team of research nurses who provide an individual service to patients who to take part.

IBD team meetings
The IBD team holds weekly team meetings to discuss patients’ progress. This helps to ensure that you receive the best care from all members of the IBD team.

Northern services

North Devon District Hospital 

Gastroenterology Department
North Devon District Hospital
Raleigh Park
Barnstaple EX31 4JB

Gastroenterology secretaries
Kelly- 01271 322734
Adele- 01271 322447

IBD Nurse Advice Line Service 01271 314005
ndht.ibdnurse@nhs.net

Eastern services

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford) 

• RD&E Switch Board: 01392 411611
• IBD Helpline: 01392 402728
• Gastroenterology Day Unit: 01392 404638
• Research Nurses: 01392 408937 and 01392 408940
• Okement Ward: 01392 402800
• Endoscopy Appointment: 01392 406429
• Medical Bookings Team: 01392 406925

For symptom concerns and medicine enquiries, we have a dedicated telephone and email helpline.

• Telephone helpline: 01392 402728, open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, excluding bank holidays (unless otherwise stated on answer machine message)
• Email helpline: rde-tr.IBDhelpline@nhs.net

We will provide you with rapid access to our specialist service; if you are unwell with symptoms of active IBD, have queries regarding your medications or any other IBD-related concerns. We can arrange investigation of your symptoms, review your medications and, if necessary, arrange urgent hospital review. There is an answer phone service available which we encourage you to use if your call is not answered. We aim to return your call within 24 hours, Monday to Friday. If your call is urgent and you are unable to speak with the IBD team directly, please contact your GP or out-of-hours service. If, in the rare event the helpline is closed, a message will clearly state the date and time it will re-open.

For outpatient appointment queries please contact the Medical Bookings Team on 01392 406925.

Your healthcare professional will advise where your appointment will take place. Your appointment may take place at one of our outpatient clinics situated within our main hospital sites or within the community.

Northern Services

Gastroenterology Department
North Devon District Hospital
Raleigh Park
Barnstaple EX31 4JB

Gastroenterology secretaries
Kelly- 01271 322734
Adele- 01271 322447

IBD Nurse Advice Line Service 01271 314005
ndht.ibdnurse@nhs.net

Eastern services

RD&E Wonford,

Barrack Rd,

Exeter EX2 5DW

Endoscopy: Level 2, Area N

Okement Ward: Level 2, Area F

Clinics: Level 1, Area D

Gastroenterology Day Unit: temporarily relocated to the Nuffield Hospital, Wonford Road, Exeter, EX2 4UG

Consultant and specialist IBD nurse clinics are held every day. This means that both specialists are on hand for advice and discussion about treatment options.

We hold a number of joint clinics with other members of the IBD team, including surgeons, paediatricians, pharmacist, research and dietetics.

We offer a combination of face to face, telephone and video consultations.

Northern services

Consultant Gastroenterologists:
Dr Alex Moran- Lead IBD Clinician
Dr Andrew Davis
Dr Byron Theron

Consultant Colorectal Surgeons:
Mrs Katie Cross- Lead for Surgical IBD

Nurse Endoscopist
Tanja Brackenbury

Clinical Nurse Specialist- IBD Gastroenterology
Monica Chan

Nutrition Nurse
Stephanie Foster

Hepatology Specialist Practitioner
Gary Marlow

Medical Secretaries/ Administrative Support
Adele Atherton
Kelly Adams
Barbara Saunders

Eastern services

Consultants

• Dr Tariq Ahmad, IBD Lead
• Dr Nick Kennedy
• Dr James Goodhand
• Dr Shyam Prasad
• Dr Chris Calvert
• Dr Ovi Roy
• Dr Tawfique Daneshmend
• Dr Tarek Shirazi

IBD Specialist Nurses

• Vida Cairnes, Lead IBD Nurse
• Sarah Hawkins
• Michelle Clarke
• Clare Redstone
• Nina Winter
• Halina Windak

Who might I see?

Gastroenterologists (doctors with specialist training and experience in the investigation and management of symptoms and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract). You will be allocated a named consultant gastroenterologist. They will be responsible for your overall care and be kept up to date with your progress, but you will not necessarily see them at each appointment. The consultants are supported by a team of doctors undergoing higher specialist training and research (registrars and fellows). If needed, after you have seen the registrar or fellow, one of the consultants may also review you.

IBD nurse specialists
IBD nurse specialists are senior nurses with specialist training in IBD. They offer support, advice information and treatment recommendations for patients with IBD. They support and care for patients in the outpatient clinic, infusion unit and on the ward. They deliver the IBD Helpline and are often the best point of contact with the team for any advice you might need.

Research nurses
We are actively involved in research and run clinical trials of new therapies for patients with IBD. We welcome patient participation where appropriate. If you would like further information please contact the IBD specialist nurses who will put you in contact with the research nursing team.

IBD surgeons
Patients with IBD sometimes require surgery. We work closely with our specialist surgeons to ensure appropriate timing of surgery.

Dietitians
If you have Crohn's disease you might be referred to our dietitian to discuss specific dietary therapy. You might also benefit from more general dietary advice if you have lost weight or need help managing difficult symptoms.

IBD specialist pharmacist
Our pharmacists are happy to provide advice about any medicine that you might be taking. They are also involved in monitoring of treatments to maximise the benefit and minimise the risks to you. Our pharmacist may contact you to discuss blood test results and treatment doses.

Clinical psychologist
We know that the gut and the brain are connected in many important ways. The way we feel, think and behave can affect our gut, and our gut can affect the way that we feel, think and behave. It is clear that we need to work with the mind and the body to fully understand what is happening.

We know that living with a health condition can have a big impact on a person’s mood and quality of life. It is very usual to feel low, frustrated or anxious about the impact of symptoms, especially when they get in the way of what is important to us. Current struggles or past experiences can be more difficult to cope with when we are living with a health condition. Ways of coping that were helpful in the past can become less helpful.

Psychologists working in health care try to understand interactions between people’s bodies, minds, experiences, strengths and struggles. They use this understanding to think with a person about changes they might want to make

Patient panel
The patient panel meets four times a year to discuss the service provision for IBD patients. The patient panel are a group of patients with IBD who highlight the perspective of patients. They provide feedback and suggestions to improve the IBD services within the hospital and work towards enabling improvements to happen. New members are very welcome or if you simply have any ideas to put forward they would love to hear from you. The IBD nurses will be happy to pass on your contact details or you can email IBDpatientspanel@gmail.com

Treatments can vary but can include a range of medicines and other options, such as:

Aminosalicylates (5ASA)

• Mesalazine
• Sulphasalazine
• Olsalazine
• Balsalazide

Immunomodulating therapies

• Azathioprine and mercaptopurine
• Methotrexate
• Tacrolimus
• Tofacitinib

Biologics

• Infliximab
• Adalimumab
• Golimumab
• Vedolizumab
• Ustekinumab

Dietary therapies

• Modulen
• Modulife

We produce a wide range of leaflets which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital. 

We also produce these in different formats including large print, please contact the department you are visiting for more information.

Find out more

We have a wide range of videos which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital. 

Find out more