The service aims to enable people to become continent where achievable and where intractable access to or advice on appropriate products and specialist referral where required.

Bladder and bowel incontinence.

The Community Bladder And Bowel Service Prescription Service is a specialist service responsible for prescribing continence products e.g. urinary catheters, drainage bags, intermittent catheters, sheaths and anal plugs. The service can also help with any queries patients may have, and can liaise with healthcare professionals, pharmacies and delivery companies.

Within the service, there are clinicians with special interests in: Urology, Gynaecology and Bowel dysfunction. The service has integrated care pathways with the Urology and Urogynaecology department at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The service offers both clinic and home visits and is available for all patients registered with a Central Manchester GP.

We provide education and training to patients and carers as part of their assessment. Training is also provided on a group basis with sessions provided in care homes, charitable organisations, and the voluntary sector on request. The service provides an annual training programme for health care professionals. We have a series of patient advice leaflets which can be given to support treatment programmes.

Community Bladder And Bowel Service:

General Practitioner referrals are only accepted via the Integrated Care Gateway. Other health and social care professionals can refer to the service using a continence service referral form. Referrals are accepted from any source and self-referrals are welcomed.

The following patients are not accepted and are redirected to secondary care urologists:

• Haematuria
• Male patients unless underlying pathology has been excluded
• Female patients with significant prolapse or pelvic/bladder pain
• Patients with recurrent urinary tract infections

Community Bladder And Bowel Prescription Service:

Referrals accepted from healthcare professionals only.
Phone: 0161 861 2333

Eligibility and Exclusion Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Patients aged 16 years and above who are registered with a Central Manchester GP and are experiencing any of the following:

• Urinary/ faecal incontinence
• Frequency and/or urgency of micturition/defecation
• Nocturia and/or nocturnal enuresis

NB. Male patients will only be seen for assessment and treatment if prostate problems have been excluded. However, those receiving treatment for prostate problems in primary or secondary care may still be seen for advice on the management of incontinence.

Patients are not eligible for NHS supply of absorbent products whilst awaiting/undergoing investigation of, or treatments for, their incontinence in Primary, Tier 2 or Secondary Care (Provision of adult continence care within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) Policy)

Exclusion Criteria

• Suspected malignancy
• Haematuria (in the absence of urinary tract infections)
• Recurrent urinary tract Infections
• Significant symptomatic prolapse in females.
• Unexplained voiding dysfunction and/or significant post void residual volumes
• Unexplained rectal bleeding or altered bowel habit

NB. Patients who are housebound may still be referred to the community Bladder And Bowel service for home assessment. For further clarification or advice prior to referral please contact the community Bladder And Bowel service on 0161 861 2334

Bladder And Bowel Service Referral Form [Word doc, 68KB]

Contact information

Bladder and Bowel Service
Levenshulme Health Centre
Dunstable Street
Levenshulme
Manchester
M19 3BX

Clinics are held in a number of different Health Centres in the Central Manchester area

Phone:
Community Bladder and Bowel Service: 0161 861 2334
Community Bladder and Bowel Prescription Service (Cobweb): 0161 861 2333

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm excluding bank holidays.

Additional Information

Service information leaflets available on request
Phone: 0161 861 2334

Useful Links
www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org