Spring is on the horizon and with it comes the promise of rebirth, renewal and rejuvenation. At the Association of Stoma Care Nurses UK (ASCN UK) we are in the ‘springtime’ of our partnership with Delegant, our new association management, secretariat and conference organisers, and are starting to see the buds of new life beginning to blossom in the form of our recent webinar on peristomal skin, an updated website, and a brand refresh. ASCN UK members should keep an eye out for more exciting offerings as we progress through 2024 and beyond.
Work is well under way for our joint congress with the WCET (World Council of Enterostomal Therapists) to be held in Glasgow from 28 September to 1 October. Our call for abstracts resulted in over 400 responses and an army of reviewers are currently ploughing through them, charged with the task of identifying the best abstracts from around the world to populate what is already an exciting programme. ASCN UK members can benefit from a significantly discounted registration and, with the early bird option only available until 28 June, now is the time to make sure your ASCN UK membership is up to date and to secure the early bird savings. For more information, and to secure your place visit: https://wcet-ascnuk2024.com/registration-information
Readers of the previous editorial will recall ASCN UK responded to the consultation document released by the Medical Technologies Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care on updating Part IX of the Drug Tariff. It would seem that stoma care continues to hold a place in the spotlight as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is now consulting on its interim process and methods for late-stage assessment for health technologies, including colostomy bags. Although ASCN UK will respond collectively to this, anyone can register to comment on the draft scope and draft recommendations, so I would urge you to do so in order to have your voice heard. More information can be found on the NICE website: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-hte10034
I am delighted to share that ASCN UK has secured vital funding from several of our industry colleagues to be able to progress with the project to develop and produce formal recommendations for EXercise and Physical Activity After Stoma Surgery (ExPASS recommendations). These will:
- Remove ambiguity and increase consistency in the information and advice given by health professionals to their patients
- Enable the wide range of health professionals to adequately prepare and support people with a stoma before surgery, through recovery and beyond, using a straightforward step-by-step process
- Instil confidence in health professionals and their advice
- Provide patients with trusted sources of information, universally recommended and referenced by the health professionals supporting them.
An expert panel is already working on reviewingthe relevant literature, exploring current clinical practice and developing formal Delphi consensus recommendations, with plans to present the initial recommendations at the WCET/ASCN UK joint congress – yet another reason to secure your registration now.