Petition to require bowel care policies and specialist bowel care at all NHS hospitals

A freedom of information request made by the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) has shown that there are huge deficits in bowel care provision across the country. This puts thousands of people with neurogenic bowel conditions, including spina bifida, at risk.

The SIA discovered that in the Northwest of England only a quarter of the NHS Trusts had a dedicated policy for bowel care. In the Southeast just under half of the hospitals had no policy or trained staff available on wards to assist patients with their continence management. In the West Midlands three quarters had policies but only a quarter had the trained staff.

Shine shares the SIA’s anger and concern that this care lottery means that thousands of patients, who rely on their bowel care routine for their health and dignity, are being left unable to go to the toilet in hospital, possibly for days at a time.

The SIA are petitioning for the government to require that every NHS Trust have a bowel care policy and that adequately trained staff are available for supporting neurogenic bowel conditions in every hospital.  

We would like to ask all our members, whether you personally require specialised bowel care or not, to sign and share the SIA’s petition today to impress on the government the urgent need for better, fairer care.

Visit the SIA website now to sign and share the petition.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at firstcontact@shinecharity.org.uk  and they can connect you with the health team.