Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when initial findings are anticipated from the gastroenterology Getting It Right First Time workstream; and whether that workstream will make recommendations about inflammatory bowel disease services.

Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) gastroenterology pilot visits will begin in April 2019, to test the data packs. Once cleared, these data packs will be sent to all English trusts and visits to these trusts will commence in June 2019. While initial findings will start to become clear in autumn 2019, GIRFT does not release its recommendations until the publication of the National report, which, after feedback from key stakeholders including the British Society of Gastroenterology, is scheduled to be released in summer 2020.

GIRFT will be looking at all areas of gastroenterology, including areas relevant to patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, it is too early to say what specific recommendations will be made in each area.