NEPHA is the first UK-wide study of how people with a parastomal hernia are cared for when they need emergency hospital treatment. We are proud to award it our inaugural Neil Smart Memorial Research Award.
At a glance
- Funder: IA Neil Smart Memorial Research Award
- Award: £55,819.56
- Duration: 18 months, from January 2027 to June 2028
- Led by: Miss Elena Schembari and Dr Sue Blackwell
- Collaborator: University of Birmingham
Why this research matters
A parastomal hernia is a bulge that forms when part of the bowel pushes through the abdominal wall beside a stoma. Many people with an ileostomy will develop one, and some end up in hospital as an emergency because of serious complications.
Planned hernia repairs have been well studied, but there is very little evidence on how emergency admissions are managed or how people recover afterwards. NEPHA aims to change that.
What the study will do
NEPHA combines a national audit of how hospitals currently manage these emergencies with a study that follows patients over time. It will:
- find out how often people with a parastomal hernia are admitted to hospital as an emergency
- describe how they are currently treated
- look at their health and recovery in the 90 days after admission
- follow their quality of life for up to a year
The findings will help reduce variation in care between hospitals, shape clinical guidance, and improve outcomes for people living with a stoma.
Taking part
Patients will be invited to take part while they are in hospital following an emergency admission. A stoma nurse or a member of the surgical team will explain the study, provide written information and give people time to decide whether they would like to take part.
The study team
Miss Elena Schembari is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Exeter. She specialises in complex abdominal wall reconstruction, with a particular interest in parastomal hernias, and sits on the European Hernia Society guidelines committee.
Dr Sue Blackwell is a patient researcher who recently completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham, exploring patient and clinician views on parastomal hernia treatment. Her research interests include parastomal hernia, patient-reported outcomes, IBD and emergency general surgery.
Elena and Sue are joint Chief Investigators. They are supported by Mr Dominic Slade, Mr Akash Mehta, Miss Lisa Massey and surgical trainees James Pilkington, Hayley Fowler and Matthew Fok. The study is being run in collaboration with the University of Birmingham.
Neil Smart Memorial Research Award
The award honours Professor Neil Smart, one of our Trustees and Co-Chair of our Research Committee, who sadly died in 2025. Neil was a brilliant colorectal surgeon and academic, and a kind and thoughtful person with a genuine desire to improve the lives of people having surgery and living with its consequences.
Parastomal hernia was Neil’s main research interest. He believed research should answer the questions that matter most to people living with a stoma, and that patients and carers belong on the teams that carry it out. Co-led by a patient researcher, NEPHA carries both of those beliefs forward.