An Angus woman, who has a stoma bag due to a health condition, says she is upset and angry after being refused access to a toilet at Boots.
Lynda Morrison from Carnoustie was in the town’s Dundee Street branch last Thursday when she urgently needed the toilet, realising her stoma bag, which collects body waste, was in danger of leaking.
But mum-of-three Lynda says despite asking twice and telling the pharmacy assistant about her medical condition, she was turned away.
Lynda, 55, says the incident began with a mix-up over her prescription: “I drove along to Boots. But they said ‘the prescription’s not here, you’ll have to go back to the health centre’.
“At the surgery the girl said ‘Boots have it’. So I drove back to Boots and they said it would be 15 minutes until it was ready.
‘Usually if you explain, people will say yes’
“I stood waiting for the prescription.
“I don’t have any control over when my bag is going to fill. But I didn’t know whether I’d make 15 minutes,” Lynda continues.
“So I said to the girl on the counter ‘can I use the toilet please, because I have a bag’. She said no sorry, but you could walk to Costa.
“I had my urostomy 19 years ago and in all that time I’ve been to toilets in lot of places. And usually if you explain the situation, people will say yes on you go.”
Lynda, an ex-patient of now-disgraced Tayside surgeon Professor Eljamel, suffers from spinal condition cauda equina syndrome. She had to retire from her job as a pupil support assistant in Arbroath due to ill health.
She explains: “I lost my bowel and bladder function. I had three ops on my back and four to try and see if they could help with my bladder. But they ended up taking it away.”
After waiting a minute or two, Lynda asked again if she could please use the Boots toilet.
‘It was just no’
“The assistant asked someone else, maybe the manager, but came back and said I’m sorry you can’t use it,” says Lynda.
“If there was an issue with Covid restrictions or something like that I could have wiped door handles or whatever was needed. But surely if my bag bursts that is more of a health issue than letting me use their toilet.
“Most people are so helpful but for a company the size of Boots, the biggest healthcare company in the UK, to do that, it is wrong.
“Other customers in the queue were saying that’s disgraceful.”
Unfortunately, on leaving the store, Lynda’s worst fears were realised when her stoma bag burst on to her clothing and car.
‘It’s a matter of dignity’
“I was just so angry when I came home,” she says. “It is a matter of dignity.
“I’m quite private about my bag. I don’t tell people I have it, only close family and friends, it’s not something I’m public about.
“However, I don’t care if people know now because I think this is a disgrace and I hope telling my story will help somebody else.
“I feel it is hard enough with your whole body image and having a bag. Although Bowel Babe has helped with that, it’s still quite a taboo thing.”
A Boots spokesperson said staff toilets are often a short walk away from their shop floors. The customer would have had to walk through the dispensary, where they store patient information and prepare some controlled drug prescriptions.
The spokesperson added: “We understand this was a distressing situation and we are sorry for any inconvenience or embarrassment caused to the customer.”
Interactive map shows all the disabled Changing Places toilets in Tayside and Fife
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