Stoma care
There are two stoma care nurses covering the whole of North Tyneside. Working alongside district nurses in the community and ward nursing staff in North Tyneside General Hospital, the stoma care nurses provide care for patients who are scheduled to have or have had an operation resulting in the formation of a stoma.
A stoma is a section of bowel brought through an artificial opening that is made through the right or left side of a person’s abdomen depending on whether it is a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. A pouch (bag) is worn over the ‘stoma’ to collect waste from the body.
The service provides ‘packages of care’ delivered as follows:
Planned pre-operation - patients having planned surgery in North Tyneside General Hospital who may require a stoma receive pre-operation counselling and suggested stoma siting. This is usually carried out in the patients’ home, although on occasions it could be a hospital ward or outpatient clinic. The session involves:
- Listening to patients concerns and fears relating to the uncertainty of impending surgery, which may or may not result in formation of a stoma.
- Talking the patient and frequently relatives (providing the patient agrees and wishes) through the pre-operation counselling booklet.
- Showing and demonstrating a range of different pouches (bags), accessories and their uses.
- Pre-operation (planned) suggestive site marking of a stoma. This is the position on the abdomen where a stoma may be placed in conjunction with patients and the principles of stoma care siting. This involves observing patients sitting, bending, using movements related to their work or hobby activities these are used to enable suggestion of best position for a stoma to be placed with no guarantee that if a stoma is required it will be placed where sited as final positioning is up to the surgeon performing the operation.
After the operation in hospital – after a patient has had surgery resulting in the formation of a stoma, the stoma care nurses along with ward nursing staff teach the patient how to change their pouch (bag) as well as how to look after their stoma before they go home from hospital. Once the patient is considered to be able to care for their stoma and the consultant surgeon assess they are medically fit, they are discharged home where their package of stoma care is continued with the frequency of visits reducing following assessment at each visit.
Following discharge from hospital – patients living in North Tyneside who have had an operation in North Tyneside General Hospital or other nearby hospitals which has resulted in the formation of a stoma will receive visits from the stoma care nurse during a three month period after surgery.
Once the patient has completed a package of care and is discharged from the service they are actively encouraged (and often do) to directly contact the service if they have any problems with their stoma in the future.
How can I access the service?
Currently this service is provided to all residents of North Tyneside, either in their own home, a residential or nursing home or in hospital.
The stoma care service can be accessed by:
- Medical staff.
- District nurses, hospital nursing staff, nurses from nursing homes and step down units.
- General practitioners (GP).
- Patient self-referral.
Contact is made verbally, by letter, telephone or fax from. If you wish to refer yourself please contact us on: 0191 220 5918.
Contact details
Janice Lee and Hazel Moore
Stoma care nurses
Wallsend Health Centre
The Green
Wallsend
NE28 7PD
Tel: 0191 220 5918 (answer phone) Monday to Friday
Nurse led stoma clinics by appointment only (these can be made by telephoning 0191 220 5918)
The second Monday afternoon of the month at Albion Road Clinic, Albion Road, North Shields
Last Monday afternoon of the month at Wallsend Health Centre, The Green, Wallsend
Useful websites
www.colostomyassociation.org.uk
The Colostomy association website
www.iasupport.org.uk
The Ileostomy Association website
