The specialist team of nurses are trained and experienced in the field of Colorectal and stoma care and liaise closely with the wider Multi-disciplinary team and primary care. The Stoma nurses are members of the Association of Stoma Care Nurses UK (ASCN UK) and Paediatric Stoma Nurse Group (PSNG) and as such are able to network with colleagues and provide up to date specialist support and care and helping the development of stoma care nursing practice.
The Stoma care nursing service strives to ensure that every patient undergoing stoma forming surgery feels well supported in order to return to their normal life.
The team of stoma nurses are dedicated to providing individualised, research based and expert care to new and established stoma and ileo-anal pouch patients. Our care ranges across adult, neonatal and paediatrics patients within both inpatient and outpatient settings.
We support patients requiring:
- Surgery requiring formation of a stoma
- Reconstructive bowel surgery
- Management of enterocutaneous fistulae (abnormal connections between the intestine and the surface of the skin) and complex open wounds
- Ileo-anal pouch surgery
- Ongoing advice for patients following colorectal surgery/procedures, avoiding Emergency Department attendance and potential readmission to hospital
Referral to the nursing service
The stoma care nursing service aims to provide an individualised pathway of care to assist in adapting to life with a stoma and provide ongoing support.
For new patients requiring surgery, resulting in a potential stoma, referral to the team is made by your consultant or General Practitioner and an appropriate appointment made to meet your needs.
You will be invited to attend a clinic consultation prior to your surgery, this can be face to face or by telephone. You will be given information regarding your surgery, hospital stay and recovery. On admission to the hospital, your stoma nurse will talk to you about whether you have understood this information and discuss any questions or anxieties you may have. You will be marked prior to surgery for an appropriate position for your stoma.
After your operation you will be shown how to care for your stoma, including how to empty and change the stoma bag independently. You will be given information regarding your diet, ongoing supplies, returning to work, common problems and much more.
If you live locally, you will be followed up in the stoma clinic two weeks after you are discharged. If you live out of the CUH catchment area you will be referred to our stoma colleagues at your local hospital or community setting, they will provide ongoing stoma support and liaise with us as necessary.
Established patients living in the CUH catchment area will remain under the stoma nursing service (see pathway below) and are welcome to get in touch between clinical reviews if you have any stoma problems or concerns.
Stoma care clinics
The stoma care clinics are for patients to attend as part of their ongoing pathway and if problems occur or if further information is required. These appointments can be face to face or as a telephone clinic appointment.
Stoma clinics are held at Addenbrooke's hospital site- on Tuesdays and Thursday and monthly at Ely, Princess of Wales Hospital. Pouch clinics are monthly and carried out as a telephone appointment.
The clinics are for booked appointments only and these can be arranged by contacting the stoma department or referral by your GP.
We aim to support in the following ways:
- Giving pre-operative information regarding surgery and stoma formation
- Stoma site marking
- Enhanced recovery-this is an evidence-based approach that helps people recover more quickly after having major surgery.
- Teaching practical stoma care
- Dietary, exercise and lifestyle advice
- Supporting you and your carers in adjusting to life with a stoma
- Ongoing telephone support and clinic reviews.
- Review of appropriate stoma products and liaising with GP
- Assessment and measurement for support garments if clinically indicated
- Being available if any concerns or stoma problems
- Access to helpline following stoma reversal (if appropriate)
- Liaising with your surgeon, local stoma nurse if needed.
Stoma care team
- Anna Brewer - Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist Stoma, Colorectal and Nutrition
- Vanessa Coleman – Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Elizabeth Karampasidi - Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Nancy Mukumbira - Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Sophie Munns - Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Chloe Georgiou- Stoma Support Nurse
- Amanda Baker – Assistance Practitioner
Intestinal Rehabilitation Service
We are actively involved, as part of the multidisciplinary team, in the Cambridge Centre for Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant (CamCIRT), providing our skill and expertise to this group of complex patients
See below for our intestinal rehabilitation CUH page:
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/our-services/intestinal-rehabilitation/
Information on local and national support groups:
Robot appeal
Support our charity’s £1.5m Robot Appeal and change the lives of thousands of patients at Addenbrooke's.