Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced accessible ‘stoma friendly’ toilets across Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospitals, thanks to funding from Rosemere Cancer Foundation and guidance from Colostomy UK.
27 accessible toilets over both sites now have hooks to hang personal belongings, shelves to provide a sanitary surface, a full-length mirror to make changing stoma bags easier, a sanitary bin for the disposal of used stoma bags positioned, and signage for doors – “Not all disabilities are visible” – as the British Standard recommends.
The changes, costing £7,558.76, have been made to aid those with a stoma - a small opening in the abdomen used to remove body waste into a collection bag.
In 2024, the Trust performed 120 stomas for cancer and 93 for Inflammatory Bowel Disease / Diverticular disease.
Alison McCrudden, LTHTR’s Involvement Lead and head of the project said: “It is really important that we listen and learn from our communities and provide services inclusive for everyone. These relatively small changes will make a big difference for some of our patients and the public and it has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with our teams to get this work carried out.”
Calum Reid, who works for Macmillan and LTHTR Research, and highlighted the campaign, said: “In 2018 I had a permanent stoma following successful surgery at Royal Preston Hospital to treat bowel cancer. “Adjusting to daily life with a stoma proved to be challenging and sometimes felt like barriers had been created to many things that I had taken for granted prior to surgery - the most challenging being the use of public accessible toilets. Toilets very often lack the facilities required to safely and cleanly change my stoma bag, which was a cause for constant worry. Because my condition was ‘hidden’ I often felt anxious whilst using facilities due to the possibility of being challenged or criticised for using accessible toilets.”
Dan Hill, Chief Officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation and Head of Charities for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We were thrilled to receive Alison’s request for funding for the Colostomy project, as it will make a significant difference for cancer patients who have undergone stoma surgery. Funding to support the initiative was secured from the grant giving body, Morrisons Foundation, which covered the whole project costs.”
The project included input from several teams and individuals, including Gary Wilkes, Building Manager for LTHTR Estates and Facilities, who oversaw the installation of all the new facilities, along with Sally Foster from Diversey, who services the stoma bins, Janet Heyes, Domestic Supervisor, and Marion Gildert, Domestic Services Manager.
Further information about the campaign and Colostomy UK can be found at colostomyuk.org
