GETECCU and ACCU España have presented a ten-point plan for inflammatory bowel disease care in Spain. The groups say access to specialist units and treatment still varies between autonomous communities.
At the Hotel Eurostars Madrid Tower, GETECCU president Yamile Zabana and vice-president Daniel Ginard set out a plan for inflammatory bowel disease care. The group placed territorial inequality at the centre of its 37th National Meeting. Its ten proposals cover diagnosis, treatment, mental health, childhood care and research for a condition affecting around 300,000 people in Spain.
The plan is not a new regulation or an active government programme. It is a joint roadmap from professionals and patients. The document calls for faster diagnosis, wider access to specialist units and fewer administrative barriers to innovative treatments.
The aim is direct. People with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis should receive consistent specialist care wherever they live. As RTVE reported, the gap also reflects differences between Spain's autonomous communities in access to accredited EII centres and treatment pathways.
Spain's equality test for EII care is not limited to individual hospitals: the roadmap addresses differences between autonomous communities in access to accredited specialist centres and treatment routes.
Zabana described EII as a growing healthcare and social challenge. She said isolated responses would not be enough. The group wants doctors to consider the disease's effect on work, social life and emotional wellbeing alongside its clinical course.
The ten priorities include less stigma, earlier diagnosis, stronger professional training and better coordination between disciplines. The plan also calls for equal access to accredited EII units and treatments, integrated psychosocial support, specific care for children and a structured move into adult services.
Prevention, vaccination and stable public funding for research and innovation complete the list.
Several measures are concrete.
Reports on the meeting also highlight the everyday burden of urgency to defecate and social stigma. That context strengthens the case for treating quality of life and psychological support as routine parts of EII care, rather than optional additions.
GETECCU and ACCU España propose wider use of screening tools such as faecal calprotectin. They also want stronger specialist nursing services and more accredited units. Psychological support should become part of routine care, not an optional extra.
The organisations say administrative obstacles should not decide whether a patient receives an appropriate treatment. That concern sits alongside the demand for equal access between territories.
The pressure is expected to grow.
GETECCU said EII could affect close to 1% of Spain's population. Forecasts indicate that more than seven million people in Europe and the United States may live with these diseases by 2030. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the main conditions covered by the term EII.
The national conference continues until 3 October. Sessions will examine how a unit of excellence should be organised, which gaps remain in mental health and quality-of-life care, and why urgency to defecate remains a poorly visible symptom.
Another debate will focus on early treatment with advanced therapies. It will also examine their benefits, risks and selection criteria.
The programme includes an international research and treatment perspective. Sebastian Zeissig of the University of Bern will assess the place of JAK inhibitors in the EII treatment algorithm. Remo Panaccione of the University of Calgary will review ten clinical trials that have changed practice.
The focus on specialist care also fits the broader medical theme seen in an earlier report. The conditions in that report were different.
GETECCU is asking for more than visibility. Its proposals link diagnosis, treatment, nursing, psychology, childhood care and research in one care model. ACCU España says patients and their associations must help shape decisions.
Around 300,000 people in Spain already live with EII. Equal access cannot remain a statement of intent. The ten-point plan sets out the gaps that the health system must close.
