Meeting on 8 December 2021

All thoughts were very much on the future as members of Frimley Park Hospital’s Crohn’s and Colitis Patient Group met last Wednesday.

Unfortunately a planned quiz did not go ahead at Farnborough Rugby Club due to sickness, but that did not stop those who attended from discussing the direction of the group and potential subject matters for next year’s gatherings.

It was noted that, pre-Covid, the number of patients attending meetings and new additions to the online Facebook group were continuing to grow but then “fell off a cliff” when the pandemic struck.

Therefore, one of the main aims of 2022 will be to rebuild the numbers through greater awareness of the group. Frimley Park Hospital has around 3,000 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients on its books, a large contingent that could be helped further in coping with their illness through support, information and advice.

Chairman Jane Freebairn led last week’s proceedings and went through potential meeting themes for next year, such as technology and IBD (looking at the latest apps that help patients control their disease); exercise and IBD; nutrition guidance; and medication. Among the alternative suggestions was to ask one of the hospital’s IBD consultants to attend and speak.

Other topics discussed included ensuring the lines of communication between patients and hospital were as good as they could be.

There are four quarterly meetings planned for next year, all to be held at Farnborough Rugby Club, and these are scheduled for Wednesday March 9, June 8, September 7 and December 7. It was also suggested that some members might also like to keep in touch between the regular meetings in smaller groups and organise coffee mornings as an extra way of remaining in contact and supporting one another.

For more, visit the patient group’s Facebook page or website