Congress for the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists in Glasgow – by Theresa Bowles
My name is Theresa Bowles and I am a Clinical Engagement and Implementation Manager at NHS Supply Chain, within the Rehabilitation and Community team. Recently I attended the Congress for the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow. This event takes place every four years and invites stoma nurses from around the world to gather and share scientific research, best practice and service development as well as providing support for developing nations.
See our Useful Links section for more information on WCET-ASCN UK 2024 Congress in Glasgow Scotland.


Over 1,000 nurses from 72 countries were present. It felt like the Olympics for stoma nursing with an opening ceremony and parade of nations that encouraged flag bearers to dress in something that reflects their national identity if they wished.
I attended on behalf of the Ostomates project team at NHS Supply Chain who undertook a deep dive into the stoma market and NHS landscape for this product area from 2019 to 2022. During this time the stakeholder engagement included surveys to people living with a stoma (ostomates) and specialist stoma nurses. Over 2,500 ostomates responded sharing their experiences of stoma services and what went well and what could be improved in their care during their hospital stay and care at home. Alongside this, 120 specialist nurses provided their feedback on the services they provide and key areas that work well and those that could be improved.
This rich data was published in 2022 in the British Journal of Nursing. I presented the key themes from the end user survey and Zarah Perry Woodford presented the clinical nurse specialist feedback at WCET. Zarah worked with the ostomates project team on a secondment from St. Mark`s Hospital, where she worked as a consultant nurse.
See our Useful Links section for more information on stoma care in England.
Since the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSE) launched the MedTech strategy in February 2023, a number of initiatives have commenced exploring the products used in this area. For example National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have recently started a late stage assessment on colostomy bags and DHSC are currently recruiting for their expert reference groups, for the review of Part IX of the drug tariff, which includes stoma bags.

Presenting at this conference was a timely opportunity to ensure that the voice of ostomates and clinicians are heard.
This was the largest auditorium and stage I have presented on, I was nervous beforehand, but I managed to hold my nerve and get the key messages across. It was a great opportunity to meet suppliers and clinical stakeholders, patient group representatives and learn more about procurement and supply processes in other countries.
Links section
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The voice of ostomates: an exploration of stoma care in England
This article is part one of a series presenting the findings of stakeholder surveys with ostomates and stoma care nurses for stoma services in England.
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WCET-ASCN UK 2024 Congress Glasgow Scotland
More information on WCET-ASCN UK 2024 Congress in Glasgow Scotland.