22 May 2026

The ACPGBI Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Subcommittee continues to support and advance excellence in the surgical management of IBD across the UK, promoting high-quality care, innovation, and collaboration within the multidisciplinary IBD community. The Committee provides strategic oversight across surgical standards, quality improvement, education, research, and service development.

Committee membership: Valerio Celentano (Chair), Austin Acheson, Kat Baker, Farhat Din, Abhilasha Patel, Jamshed Shabbir, Caroline Bramwell (Patient Liaison Group representative), Paula Harrison (ACPN representative ), Orestis Argyriou (Dukes’ Club representative), Rachel Cooney (BSG representative).

Updates and Initiatives
One of the Committee’s most significant initiatives has been the development and delivery of the ACPGBI Pouch Unit Accreditation Programme. Recognising the increasing complexity and declining national volume of ileoanal pouch surgery, ACPGBI established the programme to promote delivery of pouch surgery within specialist, high-volume centres with appropriate multidisciplinary expertise. Accreditation standards focus on surgical experience, MDT involvement, case volume, specialist nursing and allied professional support, data submission, and service provision requirements. The programme has now successfully recognised multiple units across the UK that have met these standards, representing an important milestone in improving quality assurance and patient care in this specialised field. Accreditation is reviewed annually to ensure ongoing adherence to ACPGBI standards and best practice.

The committee has recently launched the Pouch Surgery Collaborative, a platform for shared learning, and high-quality data for patients and healthcare professionals. Working alongside the Dukes’ club, the collaborative has launched an innovative Virtual Fellowship in ileoanal pouch Surgery.

Supporting the future IBD surgical workforce remains another key priority. The Subcommittee continues to address training, competency development, and workforce challenges, helping ensure future colorectal surgeons are equipped to deliver increasingly specialised IBD care. This included a survey on trainees’ exposure and interest in IBD, and dedicated webinar series and hands-on courses on multidisciplinary management of IBD and surgical techniques.

The Committee welcomes engagement from ACPGBI members and looks forward to continuing its work supporting innovation, service development, and excellence in multidisciplinary IBD care.

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