Bladder and Bowel (Continence) Service

An estimated 14 million people in the UK live with some issue of bladder or bowel control (incontinence), and only 1 in 8 people seek help.

There are treatments which can improve and often cure symptoms of incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain, or constipation.

We’re a team of pelvic health physiotherapists and continence nurse specialists, who offer support if you have any bladder of bowel concerns at any point in life including post-natal care, menopause, and beyond.

You do not need to be incontinent to receive treatment from us.

How we can help you

There are many things which can affect your ability to control your bladder and bowel.

It could be that you’re recovering from surgery, or you’re living with a health condition which makes it difficult to know when you need to use the toilet.

We can help improve your situation and self-confidence if you feel that you go to the toilet too often, or that your bladder or bowels are limiting your lifestyle.

Depending on your needs, we can offer treatments for:

Bladder and bowel incontinence
Pelvic floor muscle weakness or tightness
Pelvic organ prolapse
Pelvic pain
Constipation/incomplete emptying
Urinary frequency and urgency – including overactive bladder syndrome
Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome
Vaginal pain including vaginismus and vulvodynia
Perineal and episiotomy scar issues
Post-prostatectomy advice and support
Neurogenic bladder
Teaching of Intermittent Self-catheterisation
Advice and strategies to support long-term continence issues including Neobladder and Mitrofanoff

You can find more information about urinary and faecal incontinence, including causes and symptoms, on the NHS website.

Visit NHS website to read about Urinary Incontinence (opens new tab)

Visit NHS website to read about Bowel Incontinence (opens new tab)

Visit NHS website to read about Constipation (opens new tab)

Accessing our service

Referrals

Please ask your GP for a referral to our service, to make sure they know about your situation.

Once you’ve been referred to us and you’re next on the waiting list, we’ll send some forms for you to complete and ask you to call or email to book your appointment.

We offer various clinics across Berkshire, and on occasions we may assess on a call.

We may offer our online class which covers treatment techniques to help you while you wait for your first appointment.

Here are examples of our Bladder and Bowel diaries, which can help us better understand your situation.

Read the Bladder and Bowel Diary (pdf)

Read Bowel Diary (pdf)

Read the Urinary Catheter Passport (pdf)

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact our team, who aim to respond to all emails between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Email continence@berkshire.nhs.uk

Call Clinic 0118 904 6540 10am to 2pm, Tuesday to Thursday.

Treatments we may offer

Your assessment with us will be in a secure and private environment with one of our specialists.

We will suggest treatments we think could improve your situation, such as:

Pelvic floor muscle strengthening
Bladder re-training
Bowel re-training (defaecation dynamics)
Fluid, dietary and lifestyle advice
Advice on core strengthening/functional exercise programmes to help return to your normal level of physical activity
Relaxation and mindfulness techniques for bladder and bowel urgency and pelvic pain
Teaching of trans-anal irrigation
Teaching of Intermittent Self-Catheterisation (ISC)
Teaching of penile sheath application
Provision of continence aids/products

Home Delivery Service (HDS) for Containment products (pads)

You can contact our team if you are on our home delivery service, and you already have a supply of containment products (pads) and have a query or concern

Call 0118 904 6530 9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.

Email continence@berkshire.nhs.uk

For any reorder of products call 0800 030 4466 (you will need the PIN code on your delivery note).

Visit the NHS website to read about Incontinence Products that may help you (new browser tab)

Visit the Bladder and Bowel UK website to read their Adult bowel care information library (new browser tab)

Read the NHS Home Delivery Service leaflet (pdf)

Read the Re-ordering Containment Products (pads) leaflet (pdf)

Prescription Service

If you require catheter products and use our prescription service:

Call prescription team 0118 904 6520, 9am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday

Email casprescriptionservice@berkshire.nhs.uk

Healthcare professionals/carers/patients will need to have their name, NHS number, date of birth, address and products required to be able to place an order.

If you have lost or have not been given a catheter ‘passport’. This can be completed when you next see your health care professional in clinic for a catheter change / by the district nurse if they attend your home.

Read the Urinary Catheter Passport (pdf)

Self help guides

Please can a look at these self help leaflets to see if there is some things you can do that might improve your own situation.

Read the Bladder and Bowel Diary (pdf)

Read Bowel Diary (pdf)

Read Incomplete Bladder Emptying guide (pdf)

Read Overactive Bladder guide (pdf)

Read Overactive Bladder and Retraining guide (pdf)

Read Pelvic Floor Exercises - Men (pdf)

Read Pelvic Floor Exercises - Women (pdf)

Pelvic floor

Watch a presentation from our Bladder and Bowel service, about how to manage symptoms of Stress urinary incontinence, Urge urinary incontinence and Symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse.

Watch the How is Your Pelvic Floor video on our YouTube channel (new browser tab)