Crohn’s disease patients could be given special meals to help them recover in hospital.

Last year it emerged that almost four-fifths of sufferers in the UK were forced to rely on family and friends to bring food to hospital for them. And 46 per cent believed their recoveries were ‘‘delayed or restricted’’ because of poor hospital food, according to a charity’s small poll of sufferers.

Charity for Crohn’s and the Hospital Caterers’ Association (HCA) have now developed new guidelines to help hospitals create meals suitable for sufferers.

The charity said that given the nature of the condition and treatments, food and diet can play a significant role in patients’ recovery, particularly when reintroducing food following bowel surgery.

The condition, which is caused by inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, can lead to diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss.

Given the nature of the condition and treatments, food and diet can play a significant role in patients’ recovery, particularly when reintroducing food following bowel surgery

Three-quarters of people with the condition, which affects one in every 1,000 people in the UK, will need bowel reconstructive surgery at some point in their lives.

Now the charity and the HCA have created a best practice guide for caterers which provides information on the condition and a list of suitable meals.

The new guide, launched on World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day (celebrated yesterday), will help lead to more suitable food for Crohn’s disease sufferers, the charity said.

ForCrohns committee member and Crohn’s sufferer, Sally Kellett, said: “We passionately believe that hospital food needs to be improved to help patients recover and more importantly, more education and communication between medical staff and catering teams is required to ensure the food we are offered does not risk delaying our recovery.

“It has been a privilege to be the first charity to work in partnership with the HCA and we hope we can make a difference.”

HCA chairman Andy Jones added: “It is essential that patient groups work with us at the HCA to ensure we give them the high standards they expect.”