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ASCN UK Committee

 

Andrew Bird

Chair

Email: chair@ascnuk.org

Andrew became a Registered Nurse in 2002 and has since gained experience within colorectal surgery, critical care and pain management before taking on the role of Lead Stoma Care Nurse at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC)  in Nottingham in 2015.

Since then, he has worked with ostomates, nurses, industry and support groups towards improving the lives of those living with a stoma. He has been involved with ASCN UK as an area representative and with WCET scientific committee prior to becoming Honorary Treasurer for ASCN in 2019.

Andrew was awarded the British Journal of Nursing Stoma Care Nurse of the Year award 2019 for his work in developing a seven day stoma care service at the QMC. 2019 also saw Andrew become the Clinical Lead for Connect Prescription Services at Fittleworth Medical Limited.


Angie Perrin

Vice Chairperson

Email: vicechair@ascnuk.org

Angie is currently the Vice Chairperson for ASCN. She was elected in 2016. Angie has over 25 years experience working within the specialist sphere of stoma/colorectal nursing. Has a keen interest in ileo-anal pouch reconstruction surgery and quality of life, that was the subject for her MSc thesis. Angie has previously been the Chairperson of WCET UK from 2003-2007.

Angie has worked for Salts Healthcare since 2012, as their Clinical Lead for Innovation. RGN (1989)

MSc Nurse Practitioner
BSc (Hons) (Colorectal)
ENB 216 1995

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Emma Vernon

Education Officer

Email: educationofficer@ascnuk.org

Emma started her nursing career 22 years ago on a colorectal ward in an NHS hospital. She has always worked in colorectal and general surgery including high dependency care before specialising permanently in stoma care in 2009.

She has worked within the specialty of stoma care for 14 years. 6 years in Australia as a stoma and tissue viability nurse in public and private hospitals. In the UK,  8 years working as a Lead stoma nurse in an NHS hospital and then Nurse Manager for SecuriCare (Medical) Ltd. 

She completed the level 7 advanced stoma course in 2021.

Emma has started to write articles for publication and has written a chapter for the ASCN book on stoma siting, publish her first article in 2022 and is about to publish her second. 

Emma accepted the role as education officer in November 2022. 

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Carolyn Swash

Honorary Secretary

Email: secretary@ascnuk.org

More information on Carolyn is coming soon

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Wendy Osborne

Governance and Communication Officer

Email: governance@ascnuk.org

Queens Nurse (2020);  MSc Advanced Nursing Studies (2006), ENB 216 Stoma Care Nursing (1999) RGN (1987)

Wendy has worked within the field of gastro-intestinal and colorectal nursing for over 30 years. Having been a colorectal ward sister in Birmingham and Oxford, she specialised in Stoma Care in 1998 in Oxford and moved to Cheltenham as lead CNS in Colorectal and Stoma Care.   In 2007, Wendy joined Coloplast to set up and manage the national nurse team and currently has the role of Clinical Governance Lead for the company.

Wendy held the post of Educational committee member for ASCN UK for 8 years, and has re-joined the committee as the Governance and Communication officer to help support and develop the ongoing success of the Association.   where she was influential in developing and co-ordinating publication of the National Stoma Care standards and Clinical Guidelines.   Having been awarded ASCN UK Stoma Care Nurse of the year and the title of Queens Nurse in 2020 in recognition of her outstanding commitment to high standards of patient care and continually improving practice, Wendy remains passionate in raising the awareness and value of care to patients with a stoma.
 

 

Natasha Rolls

Honorary Treasurer

Email: treasurer@ascnuk.org

Natasha Rolls began her nursing career at St Thomas’ hospital in London and, after qualifying, worked in both medicine and surgery before becoming a ward sister and then taking the post of stoma care nurse, covering both sites at guys and St Thomas’.

She then left the capital as her family grew and took a career break to raise her children, before completing a ‘back to practice’ qualification in 2012.

She returned to colorectal surgical nursing at Gloucester Royal Hospital and then took a post of Stoma Care Nurse Specialist at UHBW, Bristol Royal Infirmary, in 2015.

I 2017 she progressed to Lead Stoma Care Nurse Specialist and has been focussed on her determination to bring service improvement and positive recognition to the team. As a leading member of a task force committed to raising the profile of the stoma care nursing profession Natasha has co-authored a paper which provides guidance for leaders in commissioning best practice services and exposing the value of expert stoma care nurses. This work led to Natasha and her co-authors being awarded BjN stoma care nurse of the year 2020.

 She presents regularly, winning ASCN best oral presenter in 2019, and has written and presented through many mediums including national webinars on a variety of stoma care related subjects such as skin health, using validated tools and helping ostomates to adapt and thrive following stoma formation. Natasha is an enthusiastic advocate for patients, is passionate about ‘busting the stoma stigma’ and is determined to improve services with the patient at the front and centre, believing that this can only happen through collaboration with ‘experts by experience'.

She has also been known to contribute to a podcast, or two, and is as passionate about the nursing profession as she is about nursing and will mount her soap box on the subject given even half a chance.

In her spare time, she has 4 (nearly adult) children, 2 dogs, 5 ducks and a very patient husband, is an Agatha Christie devotee and red wine connoisseur.


Past & Present Committee members

Chair

  • Judy Hanley (Shadow chair) 2012, (Chair) 2013 - 2016
  • Maddie White (Shadow Chair) 2016, (Chair) 2017 – 2021

Vice Chair

  • Gilly Tomsett 2013 - 2016
  • Angie Perrin 2017 – current

Education Officer

  • Wendy Osborne 2011 – 2019
  • Jennie Burch 2020 - 2022

Secretary

  • Jules Plumb 2010-2014
  • Simon Turley 2014 - 2018
  • Jackie McPhail 2018 – 2021
  • Carolyn Swash 2022 - current

Treasurer

  • Rebecca Davenport 2011 - 2016
  • Gill Little 2017 – 2019
  • Andrew Bird 2020 2021
  • Amanda Gunning  2022 - current