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Illawarra Ostomy Information Group (IOIG) is an example of service providers and end users working seamlessly together. The approach involves both flexibility and collaboration. Gumuchian et al. (2019) found that people with a chronic illness attend support groups for more than the giving/receiving of support from those with a similar experience or condition. People also attend to receive education and information and to enjoy opportunities to share their knowledge with other members. They also prefer the group to be facilitated by someone suitably trained (Gumuchian et al. 2019). A key goal of the IOIG is to keep the individual healthy whilst optimising use of the service provider’s time. Group members often self‐manage queries between each other. By sharing experiences, they can sometimes eliminate the need for intervention from the health professional. Such self‐management does not involve diagnosis or treatment, but it does involve learning, psycho‐emotional support and knowledge development. There is much for this group of people to learn from each other in relation to psychosocial adjustment, and the day‐to‐day complexities and challenges associated with living with a stoma.

The group has been running for 15 years and meets every second month for two hours in an education room in a private rehabilitation facility. On average, 25 people attend each session. Some people have been coming since the group’s inception, others come once or twice a year. New ostomates regularly join. The group is facilitated by two stoma nurses who serve the district, one from the public hospital and one from the private.

All new stoma patients are encouraged to attend and bring a partner or close friend. The value of the support person is not underestimated as they too need to receive support from others in a similar situation. People are told about the group either pre‐ or post‐operatively, depending on the circumstances. There have been times when a meeting has coincided just prior to a person’s surgery. In such situations, they have been able to attend and meet others with a stoma as part of their pre‐operative preparation and decision‐making.