Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Read more about Crohn's disease →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the gastroenterology wait, updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
gastroenterology waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | Sunderland | 4 weeks |
| Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust | Gateshead | 5 weeks |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Cambridge | 6 weeks |
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | Blackburn with Darwen | 6 weeks |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | Cornwall | 6 weeks |
| Whittington Health NHS Trust | Islington | 6 weeks |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Middlesbrough | 6 weeks |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | Wakefield | 7 weeks |
About Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. It is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It can affect any part of the gut, from the mouth to the back passage, though it most often affects the end of the small bowel or the large bowel. Common symptoms are diarrhoea, tummy pain and cramping, blood or mucus in your stools, tiredness, and losing weight or appetite. It can also cause problems beyond the gut, such as joint pain, sore eyes or skin rashes. Symptoms tend to come and go, with periods when they flare up and quieter periods called remission. It often starts in the teens or twenties but can begin at any age.
How it is treated
There is no cure, but treatment can control the inflammation, ease symptoms and help keep you in remission. Medicines are the mainstay: steroids to settle a flare-up, and longer-term options such as immunosuppressants (for example azathioprine or mercaptopurine) and biological medicines (for example adalimumab or infliximab) to keep the condition calm. Some people, especially younger patients, are offered a special liquid diet to bring on remission. If medicines are not controlling the disease, or one section of bowel is badly affected, a specialist may recommend removing the damaged part in hospital, and some people need a stoma for a time or permanently. Even then, Crohn's can return in another part of the gut, so treatment usually continues afterwards.
Living with it
Crohn's is a lifelong condition that is managed over time rather than cured. You will usually have regular reviews with a specialist team, along with blood tests and other checks to watch the inflammation and the effect of your medicines. Many people have long spells of remission between flare-ups. There is no single diet that suits everyone, but eating well matters, and some people find it helps to note which foods seem to trigger symptoms. Day to day it helps to know your own early flare signs, keep appointments and repeat prescriptions up to date, and ask your team about work, travel and pregnancy, since some medicines need planning around. If you smoke, stopping helps, because smoking makes Crohn's worse and raises the risk of flare-ups. Crohn's & Colitis UK offers information and a support community for people living with the condition.
Sources: NHS: Crohn's disease, Crohn's & Colitis UK. Last updated October 2026.
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.