AT HOSPITAL I NEEDED THE TOILET – THE CLOSEST I COULD USE WAS 2 MILES AWAY

ADAM DOUGLAS does not gloss over the realities of life as a paraplegic.

He has condemned the lack of dignity afforded to disabled Britons – revealing, with unashamed bluntness, that he has lost count of the times he has soiled himself because of a lack of accessible toilets.

‘It’s infuriating because it’s preventable, but it’s become a fact of life for me,’ he says.

‘It’s just something I’ve had to get used to, because of my paralysis – and thousands of other people across the country face a similar situation.’

While Adam does not have feeling in his legs as a result of the injuries he suffered during the Iraq war, his bowel and bladder still work.

As part of a carefully planned routine, he must visit the toilet at regular times throughout the day. But to get on to a toilet seat, he needs a hoist.

These are not found in standard disabled toilets.

Instead, he needs to use a Changing Places toilet – a state-of-the art facility fitted with all the equipment to transfer from a wheelchair, and with plenty of space for manoeuvring.

There are more than 1,400 currently in the UK but not nearly enough for the 250,000 people with severe disabilities who need these specially designed facilities.

‘I soiled myself about two years ago at a hospital,’ Adam recalls. ‘There was no Changing Places toilet there, it was too late and it just happened.’

He was told by staff at the hospital that the nearest Changing Places toilet was two-and-a-half miles away.

‘It’s infuriating because it’s preventable,’ says Adam.

‘I need a hand when it happens with cleaning, and my carers are quite used to

that as well. But it shouldn’t need to be like this.’

Pressure group Changing Places Consortium, which is co-chaired by Muscular Dystrophy UK, is calling for better facilities across the country.

On Friday, the Government announced a £2million funding boost to double the number of Changing Places toilets in NHS hospitals across England.

There are currently just 50 of these facilities in hospitals across the country. It’s hoped the cash will increase the number to more than 100.