Queensland Stoma Association Ltd

08/09/2026

How lucky are we to have these wonderful nurses supporting QLD Ostomy patients!

Did you know that approximately 50,000 Australians live with a stoma?

Despite this, there are many myths on what having a stoma is like! Stomal Therapy Clinical Nurse Consultant Liz and Clinical Nurses Megan and Carolyn work with clinicians and patients at RBWH to provide education and support around stomal therapy and have weighed in on some common myths they hear in their line of work.

👃"Stoma pouches have a distinct smell."👃
All the stoma pouches are odour proof and have a charcoal neutraliser for when gas is passed. There may be a smell when the bag is changed or emptied, but this is done in the bathroom.

🍔"Having a stoma means you can't eat the foods you enjoy."🍔
Most people can return to a varied diet after surgery. Some foods may cause more gas, odour or blockages for certain people so it's about knowing your own tolerances and making dietary changes when needed.

👴"Only elderly people have stomas."👴
There are many conditions that may require someone to require a stoma, including cancer, irritable bowel disorders, trauma, neurological conditions or genetic conditions. The highest cohort of IBD patients are young people.

🙅"You can't live a normal life with a stoma."🙅
Once you are recovered from surgery, the stoma itself doesn't stop anyone from living their life. People with stomas can work, exercise, travel, swim and shower, and enjoy most of the activities that they did before.

03/09/2026

For those of you living in the South Burnett Region...

The next meeting of the Kingaroy Stoma Support Group is to be held at 10am on 16/9/2026 at the Kingaroy RSL.

Please RSVP to Clare on 0412 414 095 or Tanya on 0412 277 290.

25/08/2026

📣 Support Christine and Terry as they take on the 2026 Bridge to Brisbane! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

This year, Christine and Terry are lacing up their walking shoes and taking part in the Bridge to Brisbane to help raise awareness of people living with a stoma and the important work of Queensland Stoma Association.

Living with a stoma can present unique challenges, but it doesn't stop people from leading active, fulfilling lives. By participating in this iconic event, Christine and Terry are helping to shine a light on the ostomy community and raise vital funds to support Queenslanders living with a stoma.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help QSA continue providing essential support, advocacy, information, and services to those who need them most.

❤️ Please show your support for Christine and Terry by making a donation and sharing their fundraising page with your family and friends.

Together, we can raise awareness, break down barriers, and make a real difference for people living with a stoma.

https://bridgetobrisbane26.grassrootz.com/queensland-stoma-association-ltd/tc-and-co?tab=donations&utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demoo4uddddw&fbclid=IwY2xjawT5vzJwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMWl2Rnd4b2M4TkIyZERGdXlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeHw-n_KHTlRTvRMeeo_IUvLaQg6lfH54BDu0ka-ARzy13FBF-rAluUV_qCZU_aem_wM5hpupp-Rsj4gx05oTGBg

17/08/2026

📢 Update: Aviation Security Screening Guidelines for Ostomy Patients

Unfortunately, we have not yet received feedback from Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) regarding our draft Guidelines for Ostomy Patients Entering an Aviation Security Checkpoint. You may recall that this followed our meeting with BAC on Tuesday 28 July 2026.

While we appreciate that BAC has many competing priorities and so ostomy patient wellbeing may not be at the top of their list, it is VERY much at the top of ours.

For this reason, we have decided to publish the guidelines without BAC endorsement so that our members can approach upcoming air travel with greater confidence and a better understanding of what to expect during the security screening process.

✈️ To view the guidelines see https://qldstoma.asn.au/preparing-for-travel/

We appreciate that the content is somewhat basic at this stage. We are planning a broader review and refresh of our website content later this year, but we hope these guidelines will provide practical assistance for ostomates travelling in the meantime.

QSA remains committed to improving the travel experience of ostomy patients. We would therefore welcome ongoing feedback from members regarding their security screening experiences at Brisbane Airport and other Australian airports. This feedback helps us to assess whether our discussions with Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) are contributing to more positive outcomes for ostomy travellers and to identify areas where further advocacy may be required.

Should evidence suggest that ostomy patients are not being afforded the same level of dignity, respect and consideration as other travellers, QSA will continue to advocate on behalf of the ostomy community and, if necessary, raise these concerns with the appropriate Australian Government authorities

💙 Thank you for helping us advocate for better outcomes for the ostomy community.

Having a stoma should never prevent you from enjoying travel. However, the key to travelling successfully with an ostomy is PREPARATION. With a little bit of forward planning, Australian ostomates can enjoy travelling to anywhere in the world. Travel delays, lost ostomy supplies, different and frequ...

11/08/2026

A reminder that it’s the Ekka show holiday in Brisvegas today, so QSA is closed for the day. 🎡🎢

28/07/2026

We're pleased to share a positive update following a very productive meeting with the Security Management Team at Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) today.

BAC listened to ours concerns, and to the experiences shared by many of you through email and Facebook. As an immediate step, the security management team has issued guidance to security officers aimed at improving awareness, communication and the screening experience for people living with an ostomy.

QSA has also been invited to work collaboratively with BAC to develop screening processes that both meet Australia's aviation security requirements and respect the privacy, dignity and individual needs of travelling ostomy patients.

In the interim, we are developing a set of guidelines to help travellers living with an ostomy to navigate airport security with minimal disruption and greater confidence. While some additional non-invasive screening measures may be required in certain circumstances, these are expected to have very little impact on most travellers.

A great big thanks to Peter and Skye who attended today's meeting to represent the human face of ostomy. Peter and Skye have been invited by BAC to assist with practical training of security staff, helping to build greater understanding and awareness across the workforce.

We look forward to sharing further updates, including the interim traveller guidelines, once they have been agreed with BAC Security.

✈️ Thank you to everyone who has supported this process. Together, we're helping to make air travel a better experience for all ostomy patients. 💙💚

27/07/2026

Hi lovely people,

Further to our post of last week re Brisbane Airport security, we are after some additional data about:

1. How many ostomy travellers have been automatically directed to a private area for a frisk search BEFORE any other checks (eg EDT wand) within the last few weeks, and

2. Where the frisk has occurred AFTER a negative ETD wand swab, what the given justification was for an additional search?

Thankyou to those of you who have to QSA with your experience already. Just after some last minute information for our meeting with Brisbane Airport Corp tomorrow.

26/07/2026

Hi, My name is Jane and I help run the warehouse at QSA. If you have had an email about a backorder or discontinuation, that was me! Many years ago my sister had cancer and ended up with a stoma. I have grown my hair so that I can donate it for wigs, and now the cancer council is running a fundraiser called ponytail project. I have registered for this fundraiser and appreciate any donations towards this awesome cause. All going well I will be getting my hair cut to shoulder length on 21 August.

https://www.ponytailproject.com.au/fundraisers/janegeutjes/qld?fbclid=IwdGRjcATS0EVwZG9mBWZkaWQWULTq5nEeUTsufo-BVCYilEHdV-YVEmV4dG4DYWVtATEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPMTczODQ3NjQyNjcwMzcwAAEedK6y5yMGVxy6M7pwKGr1mnSMFj3mfPZr6Wq6fhwcozr1E0INDbfBJqXT5IY_aem_Pfyovt_UhHosJyLx6i89lg

22/07/2026

Over the past couple of weeks, we have heard about some very concerning interactions experienced by ostomy patients when passing through security screening at Brisbane Airport.

The experiences shared with us highlighted the distress, embarrassment and anxiety that can arise when screening staff are not fully aware of the needs of people living with an ostomy.

In response, Queensland Stoma Association raised these concerns directly with Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) on behalf of Australian ostomy patients.

We outlined the experiences that had been reported to us and offered to work with BAC to help ensure that ostomy patients can move through the security screening process with dignity, privacy and respect, while also meeting the aviation security requirements determined by the Australian Government.

We are very pleased to advise that Brisbane Airport Corporation responded to our concerns and confirmed that they take these matters seriously. BAC has welcomed the opportunity to meet with representatives of QSA to better understand the experiences of our members and to explore opportunities to further improve awareness, training and passenger outcomes.

If you have recently travelled through Brisbane Airport or another Australian airport and would like to share your experience, we encourage you to contact us by email to [email protected]. Your experience will help inform our advocacy efforts and support positive change for the stoma community.

💙 Together, we can help ensure that all ostomates can travel with confidence.

Send a message to learn more

20/07/2026

The QSA members online portal will be offline for a very short period this morning to allow our IT to push through an update.

We recommend that you delay submitting your portal order until a little later this morning. Thanks!

Send a message to learn more