Bladder and Bowel Service

The role of our Bladder and Bowel Service is to provide advice and support on the management of a bladder, bowel or pelvic floor problem.

Following a holistic assessment, our team of specialist clinicians will tell you about any bladder and bowel problems that you have and agree a personalised treatment programme with you.

All of our treatment programmes are aimed at maximising independence, promoting dignity and improving or even curing your condition.

We only give containment products to people with a long-term incurable bladder or bowel condition.

If you have been recently discharged from hospital you should have been supplied with a supply of products as part of your discharge prescriptions. Once these pads have run out you, will need to purchase a private supply of pads from either a local retailer or online supplier until our clinical team have assessed your clinical needs.

If you have not been in hospital and have difficult controlling your bladder or bowel, we will require a referral through your GP.  Until you have been seen by our specialists you will need to purchase private products from either a local retailer or online supplier.

If you need advice about which pads to use and don’t want to be referred into the Bladder and Bowel Service you can find information here on the Bladder & Bowel UK website.

Following your assessment and if appropriate our clinicians will recommend a supply of continence products for you. Containment products are prescribed according to your clinical need only. Most people will be able to manage bladder and bowel conditions using a maximum of three pads per 24 hours.

Unfortunately, ‘pull up pads’ are not available within our NHS provided products. However, our clinicians can prescribe from a limited range of products and in most cases it is possible to manage your condition with the NHS products supplied.

We work in line with Continence Care National standards and best practice, both of which say that continence products should only be supplied after an initial holistic assessment of your clinical needs.

Understanding your condition helps us to ensure that you receive the best possible care and the best containment product for you.

The bladder, bowel and food diaries provide valuable information about your condition, they aid diagnosis and help ensure the best possible treatment is available to you.

Without the completed diaries our clinical team are not able to assess your needs effectively and this could have a detrimental effect on the care we provide for you.

We understand that completing the diaries can be difficult due to memory or behavioural problems. However, we strongly recommend that you attempt to capture some information for the clinicians.

We review the information we have gathered during your initial holistic continence assessment. We will also compare your medical records and review your completed bladder/bowel diaries. This will help us learn your needs and how we can support you.

Continence pads should be stored in a dry place and never kept in a damp or steamy room like the bathroom, cellar or garden shed.

All continence pads need to be worn next to your body and secured with either firm underwear or Fixation Pants. These can be supplied, ensuring a close/snug fit in to the groin area in order to prevent leakages. There are fitting guides available on every pack of products.

Used containment products should be disposed of by the following these steps:

• Any solid matter should be removed and flushed down a toilet.
• The product should be folded and placed in a small plastic bag such as a ‘nappy sack’ and sealed with a tight knot.
• The sealed ‘nappy sack’ should be placed in a further plastic bag and sealed.
• All sealed bags should be disposed in a ‘Black’ domestic household rubbish bin. (Incontinence products are classed as general domestic waste).
• Each Local Authority have their own waste collection arrangements. Please contact your relevant County Council.

This service can be accessed through your GP, who can make a referral to the service. We only accept referrals from people who are registered with a GP within the Bristol, North Somerset, or South Gloucestershire area.

We are happy to take clinic referrals for advice on the management of the following problems:  

• Long term bladder and/or bowel incontinence.
• Bladder dysfunction such as urine urgency / urine frequency/ stress incontinence.
• Bowel dysfunction such as chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome or other bowel conditions.
• Vaginal prolapse with associated continence issues.
• Pelvic floor dysfunction with associated continence issues
• Long term continence problems associated with child birth.

We do not take referrals for the following:  

• Anyone not registered with a GP within the Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire area.
• People receiving nursing care within a registered care or nursing home.
• Short term or intermittent incontinence.
• Children under the age of 18 years old.
• Individuals leaking blood, mucus or debris from the rectum or vagina.
• Bladder instillations.
• Lack of sensation during sexual intercourse.
• Pre-operative assessment.