Toilets at TransPennine Express stations now stoma-friendly
Facilities to help people with stomas have been introduced at TransPennine Express (TPE) stations.
All of TPE’s accessible station toilets now have shelves, hooks to hang belongings on, mirrors, and disposal facilities to meet Colostomy UK requirements to be stoma-friendly.
This includes toilets at Cleethorpes, Dewsbury, Grimsby, Huddersfield, Hull, Malton, Manchester Airport, Northallerton, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Selby, Stalybridge, Thirsk, and Thornaby.
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. More than 200,000 people in the UK have a stoma*.
People can end up with a stoma as part of treatment for conditions including bowel cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and bowel incontinence.
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.
Last year, a new fully accessibly toilet was installed at Stalybridge station
The new Changing Places facility 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.
*According to Colostomy UK.