Coloplast news from 2018

Peterborough based global med-tech company Coloplast has this week confirmed its long-term commitment to its UK business and the local area by announcing that it has begun work on the construction of a new distribution warehouse in Peterborough.

The new warehouse, which will be based at Peterborough Gateway, a 180 acre distribution and manufacturing park located immediately adjacent to Junction 17 of the A1, will further improve the service Coloplast provides to thousands of customers in the UK. At 135,000 sq ft in size, the new build will ensure the company is able to service all of its customers directly from the UK, allow it to keep more product lines in stock, improve capacity to fulfil orders on the same day and reduce lead times on orders. Coloplast staff, many of whom are based in Peterborough, will also benefit from the move with the site in an easy to reach location and additional staff parking.

Coloplast has been based in Peterborough since opening its UK headquarters in the city in 1978. It has continued to invest and grow its business, supporting thousands of people across the country with chronic conditions and intimate healthcare needs. Construction on the new warehouse is now underway and it is anticipated that the distribution business will move from its existing premises at Orton Southgate to the new site by August 2019.

A total of 100 staff will be relocated in the move. In addition to the new site, Coloplast are also investing in new equipment including an automated packing machine and conveyor.

Annemarie van Neck, Coloplast General Manager, UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted to announce the construction of our new distribution warehouse at Peterborough Gateway. Our decision to continue investing in Peterborough highlights Coloplast’s long-term commitment to the NHS and patients using our medical devices.

“The new warehouse will not only ensure Coloplast continues to deliver an exceptional service to our customers across the UK but it will also increase our capacity and enable quicker home deliveries to patients who depend on our products. 

“Coloplast is a major employer with around 340 staff based in Peterborough. We have already expanded our office space in Nene Hall in Peterborough Business Park earlier this year. The relocation of our warehouse will mean that we will continue to do our part in wealth creation in the local economy for years to come. Coloplast is a great place to work and this new facility is an exciting development for our warehouse staff, many of whom live in the Peterborough area.”

ENDS

For more information contact Gerald Chan on gbgch@coloplast.com / 01733 392000.

Notes to editor

About Coloplast

As a medical device manufacturer, Coloplast specialises in supporting individuals with bladder, bowel and ostomy related conditions.  Alongside ongoing investment in the research and development of products, Coloplast provides a range of essential services such as specialist product home delivery, a nursing team who work in collaboration with the NHS, innovative professional nurse training as well easily accessible advice and support from a range of media sources.

The Coloplast Care nursing team were the first commercial nursing team to obtain CQC registration in 2011 and has achieved consistently successful inspections for the safety and quality of care delivered.  This latest development is a first for a specialist telehealth service.  

Coloplast’s professional telehealth services, is an integral part of the Coloplast Care programme where individuals are offered online and telephone support to help manage their bowel or bladder condition so that they are able to achieve a quality of life that is acceptable to them.

CQC registration means that in addition to the Coloplast Care Nursing Team, the telehealth service will now be inspected by the CQC.  This process is extremely important to Coloplast as it provides an external audit of the robust policies and procedures developed to meet national standards in safety and service delivery. As part of CQC assessment process, Coloplast must demonstrate that it collaborates with the NHS and is aligned to the Department of Health and Social Care’s agenda of enabling patients to look after themselves and self-manage their long-term conditions at home.

Coloplast Director of Nursing Mary Speirs said: “We’ve put in a lot of hard work over the years to be registered with the CQC – this meant ensuring that we have the appropriate internal systems to provide advice and support to patients using our products.  To achieve this, our nursing teams work very closely with GP and community practices to identify and signpost patients who may require additional support. Within our telehealth offering, we have had to demonstrate that we have the appropriate escalation procedures for when patients require clinical oversight.   

“Indeed, our Nursing Team and Care programme is an example of close partnership working between the NHS and industry. Registration with the CQC means patients and healthcare professionals can continue to have the confidence that our nursing and telehealth services are nationally recognised for providing high quality and well-managed care.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors

About Coloplast

As a medical device manufacturer, Coloplast specialises in supporting individuals with bladder, bowel and ostomy related conditions.  Alongside ongoing investment in the research and development of products, Coloplast provides a range of essential services such as specialist product home delivery, a nursing team who work in collaboration with the NHS, innovative professional nurse training as well easily accessible advice and support from a range of media sources. 

The Coloplast Telehealth Team

Coloplast’s professional telehealth services, is an integral part of the Coloplast Care programme where individuals are offered online and telephone support to help manage their bowel or bladder condition so that they are able to achieve a quality of life that is acceptable to them.

Members of the Coloplast telehealth team are product and lifestyle specialists and undergo ongoing training in areas such as safeguarding, information governance, data protection and consent. Telephone consultations aim to monitor the progress of individuals and compliance in the use of their medical device/s.  When clinical or medical issues are identified, transparent escalation pathways are established to refer back to the relevant healthcare professional as appropriate.

The ageing population, new technologies and desire for readily available information is placing cumulative demands on the NHS. Coloplast continues to partner with acute and primary care and bowel and bladder specialists to identify and develop processes and infrastructure to support patients with their ongoing needs.

The CQC

The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England and its role is to ensure care providers deliver safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. Registration is not automatic, and care providers need to satisfy the CQC they are delivering a robust and appropriate service that meets people’s needs.

For more information, contact Gerald Chan gbgch@coloplast.com / 07469154085

Support for children and young people with bladder and bowel issues is inadequate and needs to be addressed urgently, a leading group of charities, healthcare professionals, researchers and industry partners have concluded in a new report published today (28^th February 2018).

The report ‘It happens to me too’, was launched in Parliament at an event hosted by Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Continence Care, Rosie Cooper MP. Three years on from the launch of NHS England’s Excellence in Continence Care (EICC) report, it calls for a renewed focus on care for children and young people, labelling the implementation of NHS England’s work ‘painfully slow’.

Around 900,000 children and young people suffer with bladder and bowel control problems with one in three (30%) of children suffering with constipation and up to one in thirty (2-3%) of children experiencing daytime wetting.

The report highlights the significant stigma that exists around bladder and bowel issues. Almost two thirds of young people said they would be embarrassed to see a doctor about continence issues resulting in a significant impact on their day to day lives.

Despite the burden on the lives of children and young people, evidence shows a lack of early intervention in diagnosing and treating bladder and bowel conditions and the risk that young people are not supported through the transition from child to adult services.

Recommendations in the report include:

• Swift implementation of EICC to deliver a clear framework for delivering high quality bladder and bowel services including knowledge over patient rights and access to services.
• One community-based service covering day and night time wetting, soiling and constipation problems.
• Local services should seek to identify people with continence issues who may be at risk and offer a comprehensive assessment to look for ‘red flags’ indicating an underlying condition.
• Bladder and bowel services for young people should employ a paediatric continence nurse specialist.
• Local pathways should be implemented, through which healthcare professionals can refer young people on to other services such as specialist care, social services or mental health services if appropriate.

Chair of the Paediatric Continence Forum (PCF), Dr Penny Dobson MBE said: “Many children and young people with bladder and bowel problems suffer in silence, and whilst help is out there it can be difficult to navigate. We have to act now to ensure that the help and support is there and is accessible so that young people can get on with their lives and realise their full potential.

“The social stigma that exists around bladder and bowel issues prevents so many children and young people from coming forward and seeking the help they so desperately need. Some suffer in silence for years, not knowing that solutions exist. Many don’t know who to turn to and sometimes fall victim to bullying at school or on social media. The message for them is clear - there is no need to be ashamed.

“We recognise the strain facing the NHS and the pressure staff are working under but feel very strongly that providing comprehensive children’s continence services on the NHS will not only result in better care but reduce costs in the long term. I hope the publication of today’s report marks a significant step towards addressing these challenges.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The infographic ‘The Stigma Surrounding Bladder and Bowel Issues’ is available here
2. The report was developed in partnership with the Paediatric Continence Forum (PCF), charities ERIC The Children’s Bladder and Bowel Charity and Bladder & Bowel UK, the University of Bristol and Coloplast.

Today sees the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) medical technology guidance: Peristeen transanal irrigation system for managing bowel dysfunction (MTG36).

Whilst there are currently a number of ways to treat bowel dysfunction for both functional and neurological patients (including changes to a person’s diet and hydration levels and the use of laxatives and pads), many patients remain symptomatic. For some of these patients, transanal irrigation (TAI) with Peristeen offers a cost effective alternative which can help to optimise the emptying of the bowel. 

Peristeen is a TAI system manufactured by Coloplast for people suffering from faecal incontinence and constipation. Using Peristeen has been shown to improve bowel emptying and hence minimise the likelihood of involuntary bowel leakage.

The key recommendations in the NICE guidance are:

• There is evidence for adopting Peristeen in children and adults with bowel dysfunction
• Peristeen can reduce the severity of constipation and incontinence, improve quality of life and promote independence
• Peristeen is most effective when it is offered with specialist training for users, carers and NHS staff, and dedicated patient support
• Peristeen is likely to provide additional clinical benefits for patients and the NHS at no additional cost than standard bowel care.

Furthermore, the NICE medical technology advisory committee acknowledged that Coloplast has a range of community-based and non-clinical services for Peristeen users and prescribers. These include a team of specialist nurses in the UK providing training and support for patients, combined with a telehealth programme that provides easily accessible patient support over the phone.  

Research has shown that 66 287 people were admitted into hospital in 2014/15 ¹ because of constipation problems, equating to 182 admissions per day. Of this number, 48 409 (73%) were emergency hospital admissions. Alongside the health complications and physical challenges attached to being constipated, there are also long-term quality of life and wellbeing issues for people with continence problems including anxiety and social exclusion.  Appropriate treatment, designed for the individual patient, can therefore have wider implications apart from improving health outcomes.

The publication of this NICE appraisal offers a solution to some of the estimated 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 3 children who suffer from constipation at any one time ².  

Simon Pannett, Coloplast Head of Market Access said, “Peristeen has been in the market for several years now and we are delighted that it has received a positive recommendation in NICE’s Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP).

“Transanal irrigation (TAI) systems go a long way to enabling users with bowel dysfunction to lead as normal and dignified lives as possible. Although there are currently several TAI products available, we believe very strongly that ours has the strongest evidence base of its efficacy and acceptability to patients.

“NICE’s rigorous process of review provides users with the assurance that not only are our products of the highest quality but with the appropriate training and use, they should also have good health outcomes.”

Dr Anton Emmanuel, Consultant Gastroenterologist at University College London Hospitals said, “Over the last ten years transanal irrigation has changed the treatment map for patients with bowel dysfunction (patients with constipation and faecal incontinence) whether due to neurological or functional conditions. The NICE appraisal is a critical update of the benefits and cost efficacy of Peristeen, and it will hopefully open up the treatment for those patients whose symptoms are not adequately relieved with current treatments.”

June Rogers MBE, Paediatric Continence Specialist at Bladder and Bowel UK said “This is good news for children and young people with continence problems, who are sometimes sadly forgotten by health services, as the focus often is on adult care.

“Children with chronic constipation resulting in soiling, those born with anorectal malformations and those with a disability, or other problems resulting in no or poor bowel control have had limited treatment options until now.  This new NICE guidance means that these young patients will now have another form of treatment available from the NHS.  Hopefully this will also reduce the need for them to undergo surgery.  It is important now to ensure that all paediatricians, GPs and nurses who work with children and young people are made aware of this promising therapy.”

Brenda Cheer, Paediatric Specialist Continence Nurse from ERIC, The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity said “At ERIC we are well aware of the enormous benefit TAI systems offer to children and young people. No child should have to suffer from ongoing faecal soiling; if laxatives and regular, effective toileting do not prevent it then they should be offered a rectal intervention.

“This new NICE guidance will help to spread that message more widely. It will add credibility to the prescription of Peristeen both for long term conditions and for those that require it temporarily to enable the bowel to rehabilitate. TAI is well tolerated by children and young people; we should not shy away from its use.”

Carol Adcock, a spinal cord injury Nurse Specialist with Spinal Injuries Association said “Effective bowel care is crucial in helping spinal cord injured people lead a fulfilled life. Transanal irrigation products like Peristeen are known to be both very effective and popular with spinal cord injured people as they reduce the severity of constipation and incontinence, improve quality of life and promote independence. We’re very happy that NICE has acknowledged the role that Peristeen plays in supporting good bowel function.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

¹ HSCIC, Hospital Episode Statistics, Admitted Patient Care – England 2014-2015 (Primary Diagnosis: 4 Character) https://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB19124

² Coloplast (2016) The Cost of Constipation Report https://www.coloplast.co.uk/Global/UK/Continence/Cost_of_Constipation_Report_FINAL.pdf

For more information, contact Gerald Chan gbgch@coloplast.com / 07469154085

Download a copy of the NICE guidance here https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/MTG36

Access more information on the NICE MTEP programme here https://www.nice.org.uk/about/what-we-do/our-programmes/nice-guidance/nice-medical-technologies-evaluation-programme