Continence Service

If you live in Sandwell and are having problems with your bladder you may be referred to a bladder symptom clinic held in a GP’s surgery or a health centre. If you are referred you will be offered an appointment near to where you live, or wherever is most convenient to you. You would usually be referred to a bladder symptom clinic by your doctor, but another professional can refer you if necessary.

The clinic offers:

• bladder and bowel health examination
• specialist help and advice on managing incontinence
• help with applying catheters
• toileting programmes
• referral to consultants for further investigation where necessary

When someone is referred to a clinic they will be sent an appointment letter with a fluid intake/output chart. Patients need to fill this in for three days before the appointment. It helps advisor with the assessment and provides useful information about how much the patient drinks, and how often they go to the toilet.

Bladder symptom clinics are held at:

• Oldbury Health Centre
• Victoria Health Centre, Smethwick
• Rowley Regis Hospital
• Sai Surgery, Great Bridge
• Lyng Health Centre, West Bromwich

Tests include:

• measuring any remaining urine in the bladder
• checking for abnormalities around the vagina, and testing the strength of muscles in the pelvis
• testing for changes in your urine, such as blood or protein.

All the clinics offer assessment tests, treatment and therapies in a private, confidential, relaxed atmosphere.

The FINCH (Faecal Incontinence and Chronic Constipation Healthcare) service delivers investigations, treatments and advice for patients experiencing bowel problems such as faecal incontinence, constipation and rectal evacuatory dysfunction. It consists of two consultants and three specialist nurses, all specially trained in pelvic floor disorders. The service provides patients with a range of treatments including biofeedback, irrigation, bowel retraining programmes and neuromodulation. This service is open to all patients, regardless of where you live.

The FINCH service also offers an Integrated Care Pathway for patients suffering faecal incontinence and faecal leakage. The integrated Care Pathway delivers specialised assessment and treatments, streamlines the patient’s journey and minimises the patient’s embarrassment, as well as ensuring that the right treatment is given to the right patient in the right environment. Access to the service is by referral from a healthcare professional such as your GP, practice nurse or community continence team, and is delivered at the Lyng Centre in West Bromwich. Please note that the Integrated Care Pathway is currently only open to those registered with a Sandwell GP.

The Home Delivery Service provides continence products for Sandwell children and adults in their own homes and within care homes. To access this service, patients must be registered with a Sandwell GP and have had a full assessment by a nurse, such as a district nurse.

When patients are admitted to wards at the Midland Met or Rowley Regis Hospital, they are given a full continence assessment by nursing staff. Their needs are then supported. If staff feel further support is needed, they will then be seen by a specialist nurse.

On discharge, if pads and further continence support are needed, a referral will be made by nurses on the ward to ensure the service continues at home. This is provided by the Community Continence and District Nursing teams.

There are a number of outpatient clinics that are run for urological problems and to provide treatment for urinary incontinence at the Birmingham Treatment Centre. Referral through your GP is needed to access these.

This group, established in 2004, holds informal meetings four times a year in March, June, September and December, 10.30am – 12.30pm. The group is run by a continence nurse and clerical staff, and is a great opportunity to meet people and hear from guest speakers. Please call 0121 507 2664, option 1, option 3, for details.

The Community Continence service has a dedicated advisor for nursing home residents in Sandwell. Any residents with a continence problem are given an assessment by a trained member of staff which is then forwarded to an advisor. The advisor can supply products and advice to help people with incontinence. These include:

• continence assessment
• catheters for men and women
• product training
• bowel care

All clients have a review of their continence problem and products every six months. The continence advisor also provides training and education to all staff at the care homes.