Coloplast Helps Launch Declaration of Bowel Independence

PETERBOROUGH, U.K. - July 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Staff from Peterborough-based medical devices company Coloplast (www.coloplast.com) have helped a group of charities, politicians and campaigners to launch a ‘declaration of bowel independence’ at a high profile event in the House of Lords.

An estimated one in ten British people are affected by some form of bowel problem. The declaration sets out some practical steps designed to help improve the quality of life, independence and wellbeing of people who live with a bowel problem.

Martin Beynon of Coloplast said: “Bowel problems can affect men and women of all ages and embarrassment means that many people struggle to speak about these problems – even to their GPs. We are working to bring about changes in policy which will help people regain their independence and improve their dignity and quality of life. The declaration of bowel independence highlights areas where improvement is needed and suggests some practical steps which could help to achieve this.”

The launch of the declaration was led by Baroness Masham of Ilton, founder of the Spinal Injuries Association, who hosted a reception at the House of Lords to mark the occasion. Guests included other peers, health professionals and MPs – including Anne McGuire, Shadow Minister for Disabilities.

The meeting heard from two users of Coloplast’s Peristeen anal irrigation system about how this had transformed their lives, giving them the independence that their previous bowel regimes had not.

The declaration of bowel independence calls for:

Raising public awareness of bowel management problems and the impact they have on individuals.
GPs to offer a proactive approach to bowel management problems, particularly for those people with neurogenic disorders and chronic conditions.
Development of guidelines and clinical pathways to improve outcomes for people experiencing bowel management problems.
Provision of specialist continence services for people with bowel management needs.

To hear more from the Peristeen users at the launch of the declaration and access lots of useful information about bowel problems and treatments, visit the website www.my-bowel.co.uk.