A doctor at Kingston Hospital has won funding to develop a new service for Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients.

Dr Rishi Goel, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Lead for IBD Services at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, will be given between £10,000 and £30,000 to pilot a new digital portal which IBD patients can use to self-manage their care.

With the funding, Kingston Hospital will be an early adopter of the digital interface 'Zesty' which provides a range of services including appointment scheduling, video consultation and SMS messaging.

IBD is a chronic inflammatory condition causing physical and psychological harm as well as increased morbidity. It affects at least 500,000 people in the UK.

Dr Goel said: ""Surveillance and follow up of IBD patients is crucial to ensure disease remission and to reduce disease progression.

"Flares ups can be unpredictable, making the traditional model of regular outpatient follow up inefficient and less responsive to patients' needs when they are acutely unwell.

"When an IBD patient is having a flare-up, it's essential for them to understand what they can do to help themselves.

"Self-management gives them an active role in their healthcare, empowering them to take control of their condition and is part of a broader shift in health towards shared responsibility."

The project will be trialled for 12 months with money from the grant, allowing data to be collected on its impact before any wider roll-out.

The funding comes from an Innovation Grant awarded to Dr Goel and four others last month by the Health Innovation Network (HIN), working in partnership with Health Education England (HEE).

There were 32 applications for the award, with winning projects chosen for their alignment with key NHS priorities.