Welcome to the Bladder & Bowel Community. Our aim is to break the taboo of living life with a bladder or bowel dysfunction, diversion or condition, raise awareness and most importantly, help people.
With a staggering 14 million people a year in the UK suffering from bladder and bowel conditions at any one time, our support network has become a vital lifeline to many, supporting them in achieving their goals and aspirations.
Whether you’re looking for information about a particular condition, the treatment options available, or just simply want to chat with others who have shared a similar experience to you then you can do so here.
As the B&BC Chairman, Adrian has had an extensive and varied career in healthcare. This has included the position of Chief Executive of BMI Healthcare – the UK’s largest private hospital network through to 2011.
Adrian has previously served as a NonExecutive Director on the board of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) – which included Job Centre plus, the Health and Safety executive as well as Disabilities and Carers, government agencies. Adrian was fortunate enough to also receive an Honorary doctorate from the University of Birmingham, as well as enjoying many early years in academic study.
BMI Healthcare had over 70 hospitals with over 7,000 consultant surgeons– and it provided experience for hundreds of thousands of patients. From this, we grew to realise that it is often the simplest and the most common health issues that can be most emotionally challenging and disabling. The things that you don’t talk about, and that are not easily observed, like bladder and bowel complications, are often endured by ‘silent sufferers’. Breaking down the preconceptions and opening up the conversation are the areas we need to lend most support and pay most attention to.
Gemma has over 10 years of agency marketing experience and has worked with many large retail and leisure companies. Gemma’s specialism is copywriting, content marketing and managing large projects.
Gemma has personal experience with dealing with a bowel condition after being diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer is October 2014, she documented her journey as a young bowel cancer patient in a blog. Gemma’s treatment included radiotherapy, chemotherapy and two major bowel surgeries, which resulted in a permanent colostomy. Gemma understands the complexities and emotions involved in having a bowel disorder and the challenges faced by ostomates in particular.
Having now recovered from her treatment, Gemma wants to dedicate her time to helping break the stigma that surrounds bladder and bowel conditions and work with the Bladder and Bowel Community to provide a safe online environment for those affected and looking for some support. “I had so much support from people online and via social media who were experiencing the same as me. These ‘strangers’ opened up their heart and invested their time in me and many have become great friends. I want everybody to be able to experience that level of love and care and I feel the Bladder and Bowel community can do that.”