Stoma-friendly facilities added to public toilet

Some of the new facilities to help stoma patients include a shelf to place personal items

Facilities to help people with stomas have been introduced at a toilet in a town hall.

The Parish of St Helier said a shelf, a full-length mirror, hooks to hang belongings on and new bins had been added to the building's main disabled toilet.

Stomas are an opening in a person's abdomen to help divert one end of the colon, with a pouch placed over it to collect faeces - a stoma bag - after they have a colostomy operation.

The parish said on X, formerly Twitter, that more than 200 people in Jersey had a stoma and it hoped the facilities could help make their lives easier.

People can end up with a stoma as part of treatment for conditions including bowel cancer, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis and bowel incontinence.

Colostomy UK said hooks could help patients to hang personal items up while changing their stomas bags, while a shelf space enabled them to spread out other items easily.

The charity added that a long mirror helped people when changing their stoma and having a bin in the toilet meant user could dispose of their bag in private.

Connor Burgher, the parish's head of engagement and town centre manager, said the facilities were added following a request from someone who lived locally.

Mr Burgher said: "Not all disabilities are visible and, if this makes people feel more comfortable to visit the Town Hall or St Helier, then it will have achieved its aim."