Salts Medilink Stoma Nursing Team 2022-03-02 Person 4 5 0

By contrast to some of the general nursing care I received, the stoma care was excellent. The stoma nurses were unfailingly helpful, expert and understanding. I'd been warned before my (urgent) surgery that I might wake up to find I had a stoma, so obviously I was rather apprehensive. However, when I did come round, the stoma nurse was there, and explained about it in detail. I was surprised how quickly I accepted the situation, especially since I'm probably the least brave person I know, and I'm sure that my experience was due to the nurse talking me through it, and showing me there and then, how to empty and change the bag, etc. While some of the general nursing care was good, a small number of general nurses were appallingly unreliable, unwilling to listen to me generally, especially unwilling to listen when I expressed anxiety, and (worst of all) made me wait, sometimes an hour or more, for pain relief when I'd told them I had breakthrough pain. By contrast, the stoma nurses became for me rather like an oasis in a desert. I knew I could rely on the stoma nurses to be empathic and to respond effectively and rapidly, irrespective of the heavy workload. So, five stars. Living becomes very complicated when you have a Stage 4 rectal carcinoma, and it really helps to have good, responsive stoma management. Plus they explained all about future stoma supplies from SALT, and what they told me has been borne out by my experience post-discharge. So thanks to all concerned.

I can't think of any ways to improve the service. I had information, treatment and good information from the stoma nurses directly, and printed info for more detail, plus they arranged my future supplies.