LEWISHAM Hospital has launched a clinic to help patients suffering from chronic bowel problems.

The new Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinic aims to give dedicated care for sufferers and avoids the need for patients to travel outside the borough.

It comes after Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust recently invested in a chemotherapy service for residents with lung and breast cancer.

The IBD service offers holistic care as well as medical treatment and has been tailored to help patients with conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Kirsty Brooks said: "We are proud to lead the way with our treatment of IBD, and the new clinic enables us to deliver dedicated care to patients when they need it most.

"We treat everyone as an individual, and our approach addresses the range of factors that can affect people with IBD, such as diet, stress, and general lifestyle."

She added: "In turn, we can offer patients a wide range of specialist support, including access to dieticians and counsellors, as well as medical treatment."