Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) has called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the inadequate and dangerous state of bowel care for those with spinal cord injury in healthcare settings.
The issue was discussed at a recent Parliamentary roundtable meeting, hosted by SIA and attended by more than 30 representatives of the NHS, MPs and the spinal cord injury sector.
Proper bowel care management is a basic human right, yet it’s consistently the most challenging aspect of living with a spinal cord injury according to the charity, which claims patients are often left unable to go to the toilet for days or in extreme cases left lying in their own excrement in hospital beds due to a lack of dedicated, specialist care.
And it has called for a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry to look into the matter, highlighting how patients are being left ‘humiliated’ and ‘terrified’ when going into hospital, with the situation potentially ‘life-threatening’.
Their ‘Thisis#SeriousSh1t’ campaign is calling for a commitment to ensure all NHS healthcare providers have a fully implemented bowel care policy in place.
“Our research proves that there is a post code lottery at present in terms of the level of bowel care provided across the country,” said Campaigns Manager Dharshana Sridhar, pictured above.
“We are now pushing for a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry so that consensus can be reached on what actions need to be taken to affect the change that so many people desperately need.
“No one is blaming nurses for this as training is key and the department of health and social care who were present at our meeting are listening. We need to ensure there is a consistently good level of care for these patients, a national bowel care policy and adequately trained nursing staff in all hospitals and healthcare settings.”
SIA ambassador Jonathan Goodwin, who was left spinal cord injured after a TV stunt went wrong, has recently taken to social media to highlight the issue.
“Without the correct care you are essentially filling up with poop and it is no laughing matter,” said Jonathan.
“As well as huge discomfort it can lead to dangerous conditions, that could be life threatening.”
For further information go to https://spinal.co.uk/