Showing resources for the United Kingdom. Somewhere else? Choose your country:

IBD and Crohn’s & Colitis Resources for the United Kingdom

More than half a million people in the UK live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): more than 1 in 123 people.

Donate to an IBD charity

500,000+ people living with IBD (2020)
1 in 123 more than this share of the UK population (2020)
1 in 67 people aged over 70 (2020)

Need to talk to someone? Call Crohn’s & Colitis UK’s helpline on 0300 222 5700, 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. At other times, in England, Scotland or Wales, call 111 for urgent advice (NHS 111, or NHS 24 in Scotland). In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service. In an emergency, call 999. If you feel very unwell, see when to get urgent help. If you’re struggling to cope, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time, or see other crisis lines.

IBD in the United Kingdom

More than half a million people in the UK, or 0.81% of the population (1 in 123), live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, nearly double the 300,000 previously estimated. The figure comes from a University of Nottingham study, the largest of its kind and funded by Crohn’s & Colitis UK and Coeliac UK, which also found the rate rising to 1 in 67 among people aged over 70.

Back to contents

Getting care in the UK

Where to start. If you think you might have IBD, start with a GP, who can arrange tests and refer you to a hospital IBD team. When your GP surgery is closed, get urgent advice from NHS 111 in England, NHS 111 Wales, NHS 24 (call 111) in Scotland, or the GP out of hours service in Northern Ireland.

Paying for medicines. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England most adults pay a charge for each item, and Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are not on the exemption list; a Prescription Prepayment Certificate caps the cost if you need regular medicines. In England, if you have a permanent colostomy or ileostomy that needs a continuous surgical dressing or an appliance (such as a stoma bag), you can get a medical exemption certificate, which makes all your NHS prescriptions free: ask your GP for the form. Crohn’s & Colitis UK explains prescription charges.

Work and money. Crohn’s & Colitis UK explains your rights at work, including changes your employer can make to help you do your job (reasonable adjustments), and money and financial support, such as sick pay and benefits. GOV.UK explains Statutory Sick Pay from your employer and Access to Work, which can help you get or stay in work. If your health means you can’t work, or can only work a little, you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit. Personal Independence Payment can help with extra living costs. In Scotland, apply for Adult Disability Payment instead. In Northern Ireland, see nidirect for ESA, Universal Credit (NI), PIP and Access to Work (NI).

Family and carers. If you’re supporting someone with IBD, see help for family and carers, including support for carers themselves.

Thinking about donating to one of the organisations below? Tell us what matters most to you and we’ll help you find the closest match.

Back to contents

National Organisations

Crohn’s & Colitis UK

National organisation serving all UK regions Based in Hatfield, United Kingdom

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Health Consumer Organisation
Support Programs
IBD Helpline
Toilet Access Card
Educational Resources
Research Funding

Crohn’s & Colitis UK is the UK’s national charity for people affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It runs a helpline and support services, funds research, and campaigns to raise awareness and push for better IBD care and treatment across the UK. Call the helpline on 0300 222 5700. Membership includes a Can’t Wait card to show staff when you urgently need a toilet. Learn more about Crohn’s & Colitis UK

Financial transparency: 65% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 1117148)

CICRA (Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association)

UK-wide support for children with IBD and their families Based in United Kingdom

Charity
Medical Research Organisation
Support Programs
Research Funding
Educational Resources

CICRA (Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association) is a charity working for better lives for children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It funds and manages research into childhood IBD, produces information and educational resources, and supports families through emotional wellbeing programmes, family information days, and work with schools and colleges. Learn more about CICRA

Financial transparency: 80% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 278212)

IBD UK

UK-wide partnership setting the standards for IBD care Based in United Kingdom

Patient Advocacy
Health Professional Body
Clinical Guidelines
Public Awareness

IBD UK (the IBD UK Alliance) is a partnership of 16 organisations, including Crohn’s & Colitis UK and the British Society of Gastroenterology, working together to improve care and treatment for everyone affected by IBD. It publishes the IBD UK Standards, which set out the care that adults and children with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis should expect from their health services; the latest edition was published in 2026. Learn more about IBD UK

Guts UK

National charity for the whole digestive system Based in United Kingdom

Charity
Medical Research Organisation
Research Funding
Educational Resources

Guts UK is the UK’s national charity for the digestive system. It funds medical research across the whole digestive system and publishes expert information on more than 40 digestive conditions, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Learn more about Guts UK

Financial transparency: 79% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 1137029)

Back to contents

Stoma and Pouch Support

Some people with IBD have surgery that leaves them with a stoma (an opening on the tummy, with a bag to collect waste) or an internal pouch made from the small bowel (a J-pouch). These charities support people living with one.

Colostomy UK

National charity for anyone living with a stoma Based in United Kingdom

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Patient Support Group
Stoma Helpline
Peer Support
Educational Resources

Despite its name, Colostomy UK supports anyone with a stoma, including an ileostomy. Its free Stoma Helpline is open every day of the year, 9am to 10pm, on 0800 328 4257. It also has factsheets on managing a stoma, a telephone befriending service, a Facebook support group and its magazine, Tidings. Learn more about Colostomy UK

Financial transparency: 99% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 1113471)

Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association (IA)

National charity for people with an ileostomy or internal pouch Based in United Kingdom

Charity
Patient Support Group
Peer Support
Educational Resources

IA supports people living with an ileostomy or an internal pouch (J-pouch), and their families, friends and carers. Its One2One volunteers have lived with an ileostomy or pouch for at least 18 months and are trained to talk through surgery and life afterwards. It also runs information days and has advice on travelling with a stoma or pouch. Call 0800 018 4724. Learn more about IA

Financial transparency: 96% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 1172338)

Back to contents

Online Communities

These are peer support communities: members share their own experiences and support each other. What you read there isn’t medical advice, so check anything about your own treatment with your GP or IBD team.

Crohn’s & Colitis UK Forum (Facebook)

Official online community of Crohn’s & Colitis UK Based in United Kingdom

Patient Support Group
Peer Support
Actively moderated

The Crohn’s & Colitis UK Forum is the charity’s official Facebook community for anyone affected by Crohn’s or colitis, a space to share experiences and ask questions, moderated by Crohn’s & Colitis UK staff Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding UK bank holidays). The charity also runs a separate Facebook community for healthcare professionals involved in IBD care.

Back to contents

For Health Professionals and Researchers

These organisations work mainly with doctors, nurses, dietitians and researchers. They are listed for completeness; if you live with IBD, the organisations above are usually the better place to start.

Show list (1)Hide list

British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)

National professional body for UK gastroenterologists Based in London, United Kingdom

Charity
Health Professional Body
Medical Research Organisation
Clinical Guidelines
Patient Resources
Research Programs

The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) promotes gastroenterology and hepatology across the UK. Founded in 1937, it represents the physicians, surgeons, pathologists, scientists, nurses and dietitians who work in the field, and today has more than 4,000 members. It develops evidence-based clinical guidelines, supports research, shapes the UK gastroenterology training curriculum, and co-owns medical journals including Gut. Learn more about BSG

Financial transparency: 97% of expenditure on charitable activities (FY2025)

Registered charity: Charity Commission register (charity no. 1149074)

Back to contents

For IBD Specialists in Europe

European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO)

European organisation for IBD specialists in the UK and other European countries Based in Europe

Health Professional Body
Medical Research Organisation
Clinical Guidelines
Research Programs
Educational Resources

The European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) is a non-profit focused entirely on inflammatory bowel disease. Founded in 2001, it has grown into a European forum for IBD specialists, producing the clinical guidelines, research and education that support healthcare professionals and, in turn, patients across the continent.