Part of our Heroes Campaign. By Jackie Pearson, Shepperton. Here we are in early May 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after the Brexit debacle that went on for the last 3 years. I won’t ponder on this as my article is not meant to be political, but recent history and austerity have undoubtedly played a role! Make of that what you will.

One in 500 people in the UK live with a stoma. Up to 85% of ostomates have experienced common problems such as skin irritation, blockage, leakage, and difficulty attaching and removing appliances, but many do not seek professional help¹. One study identified that approximately one third of patients with a stoma who were followed up over a 5-year study period had evidence of skin complications within 90 days of surgery². This, in turn, leads to increased healthcare costs, increased product use, wastage and unnecessary referrals to specialist stoma services.

Part of our Heroes Campaign. Maria & Aisha’s Story. This is Maria (left) and Aisha (right). They work on the Haematology Ward in a NHS hospital. Maria who is from Poland, is a cleaner and Aisha is a junior doctor. Maria is 4 months pregnant and continues to work in areas that are low risk for COVID-19.

Part of our Heroes Campaign. By Colin McAlpine – Bestwood Village, Nottingham Postman. For me as a Village Postie, I became acutely aware of the changes to people’s routines as soon as the Schools closed. There was a lot of uncertainty and confusion for everyone leading up to Lockdown but there was also a bonding together, a solidarity if you will, from an unexpected source. It came from the youngsters in the form of the Children’s Rainbow.

What is MARSI? Medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) occurs when medical adhesives remove superficial layers of skin, resulting in variable levels of skin damage, such as skin-stripping, tension blisters, skin tears, contact dermatitis.

It is estimated that 13,500 people have stoma surgery each year, which means around 1 in every 500 people have a stoma in the UK.¹ Due to this high number of people, nurses in different clinical settings will see patients with a stoma. Therefore it is vital to develop a basic understanding of stoma care.

Understanding incontinence. Incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine, faeces, or both. Studies indicate that there are between three and seven million people with some degree of urinary incontinence in the UK. Prevalence of both urinary and faecal incontinence increases with age.

Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in queries on Peak Flow Meters from clinicians and healthcare professionals. This may be because, during the current Covid-19 pandemic, patients with asthma and other respiratory conditions are being increasingly managed via virtual or phone consultations and have had to take more responsibility for self-care and management of their condition.

We have all been challenged in delivering services in social and healthcare throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The intense pressures on staffing and resources have also taken their toll on the provision of education.

Part of our Heroes Campaign. By ​Dr. Nitin Raje-Ghatge – MD, DMLS, DFMS (London). I have come across a vast number of people with Mental Health & Addiction problems and how it affects not just the patients but also the people they live with.