Bladder and Bowel and Pelvic Floor service
What do we assess and treat:
Urinary and faecal incontinence are common problems affecting both men and women of all ages. Children can also have continence problems.
The primary aim of the NHS Borders Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor service is to promote bladder and bowel health and continence by offering advice, treatment and self-management options.
NHS Borders Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor Service aims to meet the needs of all individuals, respecting culture, diversity, ethnicity, and sexuality.
Types of Incontinence.
- Stress Urinary Incontinence is a leakage of urine on cough, sneeze, laugh and/or any form of exertion.
- Urge Incontinence is an uncontrollable desire to pass urine with/without leakage.
- Mixed Incontinence is both above.
- Functional Incontinence is when you are unable/unwilling to use the toilet.
- Nocturnal Enuresis is passing urine while sleeping.
- Faecal Incontinence is a leakage of faeces.
Other symptoms we can assess and treat.
- Vaginal and Rectal Prolapse: a protrusion out of the vagina or back passage.
- Female Dyspareunia: Pain in the vaginal during intercourse or with vaginal examination / smear test
How do I access the Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor Service?
The service can be contacted in the following ways: -
- A referral from your GP
- A referral from any healthcare professional.
- Self-referral - ADULT PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES ONLY: You can access a self referral form from the GP Practice
NHS Borders Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor Service
The members of the NHS Borders Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor Service team are:-
- Principal Physiotherapist Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor - Lead Clinician Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor Service
- Specialist Physiotherapist Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Floor
- Specialist Bladder and Bowel Nurse
- Administrator
What will happen once I’ve been referred?
Your referral will be triaged and placed on either the Physiotherapy or Nursing waiting list.
Physiotherapy
When you reach the top of the waiting list a letter will be sent to you inviting you to call us to arrange your first appointment. You will also receive a bladder diary to complete. If you would like an appointment please contact us using the phone number on the letter. If you do not contact us within 4 weeks we will assume you no longer require an appointment and we will remove you from our waiting list. Please complete the bladder diary and return this no less than 10 days prior to your appointment. If you are able, please keep a copy of the completed diary and bring it with you to your initial appointment.
Nursing
Adult referrals
When you reach the top of our waiting list an appointment will be made for you to be assessed by one of our nurses. In most cases the initial assessment will be completed either on the phone or by video call. Please complete any enclosed charts/ questionnaires and return these at least 10 days prior to your appointment. Please also take your own copy and have this available at your appointment. If, following initial assessment it is agreed that a face to face is also required this will be discussed with you and an appointment can be made at one of our clinics across the Borders.
In exceptional circumstances the nurses may visit you at home.
Childrens referrals
When your child reaches the top of this list you will receive a letter with bladder and bowel charts and a questionnaire to be completed. These charts / questionnaire are essential part of our assessment and should be returned in the envelope provided within four weeks. Once we receive the completed charts one of our specialist nurses will offer you an appointment for further assessment. If you do not return the charts/ questionnaire within 4 weeks, we will assume you do not wish to have an appointment and we will remove the child from the waiting list.
What will happen on my initial visit?
A full continence assessment will be carried out to obtain a clear history of your complaint. This may include a vaginal/rectal examination, bladder scan, bladder diary and urine test.
Following this a personalised treatment plan will be given to you. This will be reviewed on a regular basis.
What can I do to help myself?
- Do not go to the toilet 'just in case'.
- Reduce your intake of tea, coffee and fizzy drinks.
- Do not be afraid to seek help, the majority of continence problems will respond to treatment.
- Try doing some pelvic floor exercises. A leaflet explaining these exercises can be downloaded here.