A TAMESIDE train station now provides toilet facilities for people with stomas.
The medical procedure sees 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 someone has a colostomy operation.
According to the charity Colostomy UK, more than 200,000 people in the UK have one.
Now Stalybridge station has seen its facilities upgraded, with shelves, hooks to hang belongings on, mirrors and disposal facilities to meet Colostomy UK requirements to be stoma-friendly fitted.
People can end up with a stoma as part of treatment for conditions including bowel cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and bowel incontinence.
Now rail firm TransPennine Express (TPE) has integrated the facilities into stations it runs, including Stalybridge, which had a fully accessible toilet installed last year.
Chris Jeffery, Accessibility Lead at TPE, said: “We hope the improvements will make travelling with TPE easier for customers with a stoma.
“We are working hard to ensure that our services and stations are accessible and inclusive for everyone.”
The upgrades are part of a move to provide better toilet facilities for customers.
And the new Changing Places facility, like the one at Stalybridge, is a larger accessible toilet for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets, with equipment such as an adult-sized changing bench, a hoist, privacy screen and space for carers.