Freedom of information requests

The provision of bowel care for adults- spinal cord injured patients

Questions

Q1. Does the Trust have a formal written policy for digital rectal examination, digital rectal stimulation and the digital removal of faeces in spinal cord injured and other patients with neurogenic bowel dysfunction?

Q2. Is your policy based on the policy template that the Spinal Injuries Association circulated to your Trust in August 2018?

Q3. If admitted to the Trust, will a person with neurogenic bowel dysfunction receive the following bowel care intervention – Digital removal of faeces?

Q4. If admitted to the Trust, will a person with neurogenic bowel dysfunction receive the following bowel care intervention – Digital rectal stimulation?

Q5. If admitted to the Trust, will a person with neurogenic bowel dysfunction receive the following bowel care intervention – Tran’s anal irrigation?

Q6. Do you have ward-based staff skilled in supporting patients with neurogenic bowel care interventions, including the digital removal of faeces?

Q7. Are staffs available seven days a week to undertake these bowel care interventions?

Q8. Does the Trust have a policy that allows for the personal care assistants/carers of spinal cord injured patients to assist with the bowel care element of the patient's care?

Q9. Does the Trust have an appropriate clinical lead in place (such as a Continence Manager) to manage the overall delivery of bowel care interventions to patients?

Q10. What are the contact details for this clinical lead (i.e. name, job title, telephone number and email address)?

Response

Q1. Yes

Q2. No

Q3. Yes

Q4. Yes

Q5. Yes

Q6. Yes

Q7. Yes

Q8. No

Q9. Yes

Q10. This information is publicly available on our website.

Please note, under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) it can be unlawful to send electronic mail marketing to individuals unless:

• recipients have specifically consented, preferably via an opt-in, or
• recipients are an existing customer who has bought a similar product or service from you in the past, and you give them a simple way to opt out of receiving your electronic marketing in every message you send.

When contacting via email, you must not disguise or conceal your identity and must provide a valid contact address so recipients can opt out or unsubscribe. NHS resources are currently extremely stretched; we would appreciate your consideration of this when contemplating contacting us and your patience if we do not respond at this time