In the UK, stoma care has no national standards, targets or best practice pathway, resulting in significant variation and an undervalued service. As members of an evidence-based profession, Specialist Stoma Care Nurses (SSCN) need to demonstrate their value. Specialist nurses in cancer care and inflammatory bowel disease are supported by nationally, with pathways, targets and standards of care, as well as career and education frameworks. This system could be used for SSCNs.

This paper looks at the need for standards to be adopted.