The Stoma and Colorectal Nursing Department at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport won the ‘Innovative Care in the Care Home Sector’ category at the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards in 2019. Sue Bradley finds out about this team’s important role.
LEARNING to live with a stoma or ileostomy is a necessity for many who undergo surgery on their large or small intestines.
Operations for bowel cancer, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can leave patients with an opening in their stomachs for the passing of waste, either on a temporary basis or for the rest of their lives.
In a normal year, the Colorectal Nursing Department at the Royal Gwent Hospital helps hundreds of people as they prepare for surgery and convalesce during the days and weeks that follow.
MORE NEWS:
- Newport men jailed at city's magistrates’ court this month
- Tigercub Prints are donating 200 gifts to The Grange University Hospital
- Anti-social behaviour on trains in Wales on the rise
Subsequently, ongoing support, guidance and reassurance is provided by a team of stoma nurses, whose work involves visiting patients in their homes, or in the case of many older people, their care homes.
Last year an individual helped by both teams took time to show their appreciation by nominating the Stoma and Colorectal Nursing Department for the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards.
Senior nurse Donna Lafferty, one of those who attended the ceremony towards the end of 2019, describes how the accolade gave everybody a lift.
“I felt so proud of the ward and the stoma department because I know the work they put in and the passion they have for their patients and the fact this had been recognised was amazing,” she says.
“In addition, we were one of three finalists for the Aneurin Bevan Patient Choice Awards, a testament to the way they go over and above what’s required of them.”
Like many hospital departments and nursing teams, Covid-19 has made a huge impact on the way the Stoma and Colorectal Nursing Department operates, placing huge pressures on an already busy team and increasing the levels of stress felt by patients.
Whether it’s been helping those most in need of surgery to have their operations ahead of the first lockdown, finding new means of communications to enable people in hospitals to talk to their relatives or continuing to provide effective support and reassurance to those getting used to life with a stoma, the team has risen to every challenge.
“The ages of the people we help stretch from late teens to eighties or nineties, which encompasses a wide range of abilities when it comes to technology,” Ms Lafferty explains. “We’ve used whatever devices we can to make life better for our patients, and found ways to help those who need a different approach.”
More recently a ‘green pathway’ has been set up to enable elective surgeries to take place while minimising the infection risk as much as possible.
“We have been doing some surgery but this is a more robust way through which we’re trying to get through the back log that’s built up,” says Ms Lafferty. “The safety of our patients is paramount in all we do.”
A big thanks to our awards sponsor
NICHE is sponsoring the GP Practice of the Year Category in the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards.
Niche is an award-winning firm of chartered financial planners, providing independent fixed-fee financial advice with a focus on lifetime financial planning.
Founded in 2005, the company offers a range of services specialising in all areas of finance, from pension and retirement planning to mortgages and income protection.
Speaking about the decision to support this year’s South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards, Matt Wiltshire, managing director and chartered financial planner at Niche, said: “After recently sponsoring the South Wales Argus Sports Awards and celebrating the best of local sport, we are proud to also support the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards and help honour all those incredible health and care workers.”
Niche’s awards include the South Wales Argus’s ‘Contribution to the Community’ accolade.
Earlier this year the company installed a giant digital billboard on the side of their office, which overlooks the M4 motorway next to the Brynglas Tunnels in Newport - topped by a red Welsh dragon overlooking the motorway at the River Usk.
Its mission is to help local businesses, charities, and events shout about the good they do with an incredibly unique digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising opportunity.
For more information about Niche and how the company can help you, including the digital billboard, visit: https://nicheifa.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here