Heartbeat: Poo is no longer a taboo thanks to service
May 3, 2020
It’s normally a taboo subject saved for discussions with your doctor or your most trusted friend or even keeping it entirely to yourself for fear of embarrassment. Not any more – the FINCH (Faecal Incontinence and Constipation Healthcare) team are bringing the embarrassing subject of poo into the open – highlighting the issue on national airwaves.
Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist, Kelly Stackhouse and her team were the focus of the Radio 4 programme Inside Health interviewed by Trust Me I’m a Doctor presenter, Dr Saleyha Ahsan.
The programme is known for discussing health issues which people struggle to understand and faecal incontinence (also known as bowel function) is certainly one of those topics.
The service is for patients who have functional bowel disorders, which means the organ doesn’t work properly, leading to problems such as constipation, needing to rush to the toilet, losing control of the bowel following surgery in that area. Kelly explained, “The FINCH service wants to break the taboo around poo.
Receiving this national coverage is very important as it will alert people to this vital service and raise awareness that there are different treatments available. We are here to help those who are experiencing real problems. Some of them will refuse or be unable to leave the house because it has gotten so bad. Many of our patients have told us how it really has changed their lives for the better being under the care of our service.”
Set up a little over 10 years ago, the team initially comprised of just Kelly and one consultant Miss Kathryn Gill. Kelly had worked as a colorectal nurse at the Trust.
She explained, “Miss Gill wanted to set up a service, so we did this together, with one of the main focuses being on anterior resection syndrome.
Fast forward to 2020, and the service has won a number of accolades. It comprises of three extra nursing team members and two more colorectal consultants. In 2019 it had 500 referrals, compared to just 170 in its first year.
“We hold clinics every day and patients from all over the country visit us,” Kelly added.
One such patient is Lara Simms. The 21-yearold student started suffering from terrible constipation two years ago and was only able to pass a stool once every three weeks.
Lara’s story was featured on the Radio 4 programme. She told the presenter: “It transpired that I had ‘slow bowel’ and it had come on all of a sudden. I found myself suffering from terrible stomach pain and I was constantly in and out of the hospital in Brighton where I’m a student. Doctors were baffled as to what was wrong with me.”
Eventually, she received a diagnosis but medics unfamiliar with the condition were unable to treat the problem effectively. “I was on 15 to 20 laxatives a day and looked so bloated. I couldn’t go out because I knew I would need to use the toilet so much,” she said. Lara visited her family home frequently and on one occasion she was admitted to Sandwell Hospital and referred to the FINCH team.
Kelly discussed Lara’s condition with her colleagues at the multi-disciplinary team meeting. She was told about the antegrade continence enema (ACE) procedure – an operation designed to help with emptying the bowel. It allows the patient to self-administer enemas into the large bowel after a hole is made in the appendix. Lara became the first patient at our Trust to have this procedure, performed by Mr Raj Peravali.
Lara added: “Since having this operation my life has changed drastically for the better. I am able to carry on with my studies, go out and see my friends, go shopping without having to worry about where the nearest toilet it. I have the FINCH team to thank for this.”