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Founder
As an ostomate I’ve been operating within the community for the last five years helping bladder and bowel patients get the support they need.
Founder
Actively working within the community since 2017 to help bladder and bowel patients realise the choice they have when finding a home delivery provider.
When I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer, which resulted in me having 2 major surgeries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy over the course of 18 months.
I was only 30 years old, slim, a non smoker, healthy eater so being diagnosed with bowel cancer was a complete shock. What was even harder to get my head around was being told that I would also need to have a permanent colostomy. Going through stoma surgery was very difficult for me both physically and emotionally and I struggled to deal with this new pink, little mound that was now sewn to my stomach. There was very little information given by my hospital.
The first time I saw a colostomy bag, I was horrified! I am quite short in size and these bags were huge and hung down to my knees. I didn’t know how I was going to adapt as I had no idea that these bags came in all shapes and sizes to suit. Until I undertook my own research, I was unaware that I was able to change my service provider and products to suit my own needs. The more research that I did on what was available to me, the more my confidence grew and the easier I found living life with my little stoma friend.
During my cancer journey, I wrote a blog that detailed the realities of undergoing cancer treatment including living with a stoma. After seeing my blog, the newly reformed Bladder and Bowel Community contacted me and asked me to work alongside them to help build up a new online information and community site to replace the old Bladder and Bowel Foundation.
I had already worked in marketing for around 10 years, so it was great to be able to use both my trade skills and my personal experiences to help others going through a similar situation. I was tasked with working with Simon to help build a safe, online community space where those living with a bladder or bowel condition could freely talk to others or seek advice without embarrassment or judgement. The group grew beyond our expectations and very quickly, we had several thousand members interacting and asking each other questions. This was when we realised what a powerful and invaluable resource and the group became a lifeline to many people.
We noticed that a big topic was people searching for advice and information on what products were available to them and how effective they were. Finding out real life experiences was very important to them. Myself and Simon often discussed what little information was out there for people with bladder and bowel conditions and this is how the idea for the Healthcare Delivery Review site was born.
We wanted to provide a space where ostomates and appliance users could leave reviews about their delivery service providers, and in turn give fellow patients an informed choice about levels of service and the choice of products available. With Simon’s digital expertise and my personal insights, we have been able to build a one-stop platform where you can find honest information on all the major healthcare delivery providers.
Our aim is to give our community a voice, and with your help educate that you do have a choice and that you don’t have to ‘put up’ with something that doesn’t work for you.
It’s so easy to do, all you need to do is fill in a review form…
I first met Gemma while I was working as a digital marketing specialist with one of the largest informational online resources for bladder and bowel conditions in the UK – The Bladder & Bowel Community. We started working together to develop and improve the online marketing and reach of the community and we quickly struck up a friendship.
As I was relatively new to the community, Gemma initially helped me to understand the pain and frustrations that people who have bladder or bowel conditions go through on a daily basis. We then began talking about Gemma’s own personal experience which was incredibly inspiring to me; to go through everything that she had done and at such a young age with all the hardships and difficulties, it made me want to help in any way that I could.
After we set up an online community for the Bladder & Bowel, I realised what a great platform this was to give people with a bladder or bowel condition a voice that perhaps they didn’t realise they had. While this was a fantastic achievement I felt there was more we could do and that’s when Gemma first raised an idea with me…
We were talking about stomas and catheters and other prescription products and the options available and the amount of choice there is out there; the problem is, no one knew about any of it!
And that’s when Healthcare Delivery Reviews was born.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was something that provided information on all the delivery companies that deliver patients with the products they needed. And more importantly, wouldn’t it be amazing if it gave those patients a voice.
For too long there has been a lack of easy to find information about these companies – how many are there? Which one is the best? Do they offer a choice? How easy is it to switch? Who should I switch to?
Well now, through our community, you can easily find out.
Healthcare Delivery Reviews sees real patients leaving real reviews about their experiences, giving a voice to the community and making sure others in a similar situation can make an informed decision about who they want to deliver their prescription products.
If your delivery company isn’t giving you the level of service that you need, tell them about it. And if they go above and beyond and deserve recognition for their customer care, let them know.
Not only will this provide invaluable information to others in a similar situation, but it will also help these delivery companies to improve their service if someone feels let down, or provide help to those in difficult situations by switching to their service.
Gemma and I want to improve the standards in the industry, but we can’t do it without YOU. Together we can build a community and a resource that helps empower ostomates, catheter users, and others who use bladder or bowel prescription products to make a choice and tell their story.
Your voice allows others to make the right choice and it all starts with a review…