Introduction
Incontinence is a symptom of a disease or can be a side-effect of treatment. It’s quite a common problem but one that can be upsetting, stressful and embarrassing. It can have a big impact on the person’s life, self-esteem and confidence and can affect their family and friends. For lots of reasons many people don’t ask for help and often don’t know there is help available. For many people, incontinence can be treated/helped whatever your age.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence means that you can’t control passing urine and accidentally leak some urine. This can vary from leaking small amounts that might only dampen pants to leaking larger amounts of urine that may come through your clothes. It can happen when you cough, sneeze, laugh or change your position. Although incontinence becomes more common as people get older it doesn’t mean that it will happen or that nothing can be done to help.
Some people may have faecal incontinence which is the inability to control the bowel, so you accidentally pass/leak faeces (poo). The continence advisory service may also be able help to help with this difficulty.
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What is a Continence Advisory Service (CAS)?
A continence advisory service is a confidential service. Most often they:
- provide advice on continence
- chat over your continence difficulties in detail
- provide support
- provide treatment
- help you (or family member/carer) to manage your difficulty
- provide continence assessments.
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How can a CAS help?
Their main aim is to help improve your situation if incontinence his having an impact on you. Give you the confidence to get on with your life and get back to doing the things that you enjoy without being concerned about any leakage.
They may help with pelvic floor exercises, bladder retraining, intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC), product advice and fitting, and catheter management.
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Who runs a CAS?
The CAS is run by Nurse Specialists called Continence Advisors. They have specialist training and knowledge to provide help and advice for those who have problems controlling their bladder (and/or bowel.)
They often have links with the Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioners in hospitals, District and Community nurses.
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Where do they work?
They usually work in specialist nurse-led clinics in a variety of community settings/community hospitals. Depending on circumstances the adviser may visit the person in their home.
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How to be referred.
Each health board has specific routes of how you can be seen. Depending on the Health Board process in your area, referrals may be:
- Self-referrals. This means that the person with a continence problem (or their carer) can get in touch with the CAS themselves
- Healthcare professionals. Referrals are accepted from healthcare professionals. Most often referrals will be done in writing/emailing the CAS. If this is the case in your health board then you would need to ask for a referral from your GP, urologist, clinical nurse specialist, physiotherapist. Referrals may be done through the Scottish Care Information (SCI) gateway system.
Accessing pads/aids
Again, this will differ from health board to health board. On occasion CAS will manage the supply of pads and other aids/products. But most often it is the district nurse or community nurse who is responsible. The best way to get in touch with the district/community nurse is through your GP Practice.
What else can they provide?
The CAS often provides/produces helpful leaflets or booklets to support continence treatment programmes and as a back-up to your consultation.
Who else might be able to help with my incontinence difficulty?
The CAS team are the specialists in the field of continence care and management. Others who may be able to provide advice include:
- Your GP
- District or Community Nurse at the health centre/practice that you go to
- The Clinical Nurse Specialist in urology if you attend hospital
- A specialist urology physiotherapist if you attend after prostate surgery
How can I find out if there is a CAS in my area?
Every health board has a CAS. Each service works in a slightly different way and provides different details. Every health board has a CAS. Each service works in a slightly different way, provides different details/services and may not be called a ‘continence advice/advisory service’ . Possibly the easiest way is to use a search engine, type in your health board name and continence advisory service and details should be provided.
Alternatively, we are setting out details here of services for a number of health boards: (Please note the details given below are correct to the best of our knowledge and understanding in February 2022).
NHS Continence Advisory Services by Health Board
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Acute Hospitals continence service
Ballochmyle Suite
University Hospital Ayr
Dalmellington Rd
Ayr
KA6 6DX
The Continence Advisory Service (CAS) Team consists of nurses and physiotherapists specialising in continence.
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Your consultant
- Any healthcare professional.
The service does not accept self-referrals.
The contact number is Tel 01292 617073. The contact number can be used for enquiries which would be assessed on an individual basis.
The Community Team
Glenapp
Ailsa Hospital
Dalmellington Road
Ayr
KA6 6AB
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Your consultant
- Any healthcare professional.
This service does not accept self-referrals.
The contact number is Tel 01292 513819. The contact number can be used for enquiries which would be assessed on an individual basis.
NHS Borders
Bladder and Bowel Service
Room 15
Rushbank
Newstead
TD6 9DA.
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Any healthcare professional.
- You can get in touch with the service yourself (called a self-referral) by leaving your details on the confidential answer phone. Telephone 01896 824 555.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
The Bowel/Bladder Continence Department
Community Rehab Unit
Cresswell Wing (1st Floor)
Mountainhall Treatment Centre
Bankend Road
Dumfries
DG1 4AP
Telephone 01387 244405
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Your consultant
- Any healthcare professional.
This service does not accept self-referrals. You can be referred by a health care professional either by letter or through the Scottish Care Information (SCI) gateway system.
NHS Grampian
Continence Advisory Service
In NHS Grampian, CAS can offer advice, support, where to access help, where to obtain equipment, bed protection etc.
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Your consultant
- Any healthcare professional
- This service accepts self-referrals
Tel: 01467 672748 Email: gram.inveruriecas@nhs.scot
Continence Clinics
You can get in touch with these clinics to ask for advice and to ask to be seen:
Contacts are:
- City Hospital: Tel 01224 558250. Every Thursday.
- Alford: Tel 01975 562481. One Monday a month.
- Inverurie: Tel 01467 672740. One Wednesday a month.
- Peterhead: Tel 01779 482414. One Tuesday a month.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
The service in Glasgow is called SPHERE. There is lots of information on the SPHERE website that you may find helpful. https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/health-services/sphere-bladder-and-bowel-service/. The website gives an insight into who is part of the SPHERE team, what the team does and some FAQs.
How to be referred to SPHERE.
If you have symptoms of urinary incontinence (and/or bowel incontinence), then you can be referred to SPHERE by your GP (via the SCI Gateway Referral System).
If you are unable to leave your house and have incontinence difficulties, then get in touch with the District Nurse at your health centre. They will most likely see you, chat over your difficulties and do a first assessment.
North Team
Clydebank Health Centre – 0141 531 6302
Possilpark Health and Care Centre – 0141 800 0710
Stobhill – 0141 201 3190
South Team
Castlemilk Health Centre – 0141 531 8569
Pollok Health Centre – 0141 531 6822
Port Glasgow Health Centre – 01475 506 009
For general enquiries you can phone 0141 531 8612 or email generalenquiries.sphere@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
NHS Highland
Contact the community nurses at your local GP Practice in the first instance but if further advice is needed then you can contact the continence service: at nhsh.continencecare@nhs.scotC
NHS Shetland
To get help with incontinence problems make an appointment with your GP or Practice Nurse at your local health centre for an assessment. If necessary, they will refer you to the Community Nurses or Continence Nurse Adviser. The Continence Nurse Adviser is based in Lerwick.
NHS Tayside
The service in Tayside is called CATS (Continence Advisory and Treatment Service).
You can be referred to the service by:
- Your GP
- Your consultant
- Any healthcare professional.
This service does not accept self-referrals.
They are based at:
Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre, Forfar. Tel 01307 468 383
Wallacetown Health Centre, Dundee. Tel 01382 443528
Drumhar Health Centre, Perth. Tel 01738 564258
For an appointment with CATS, you should make an appointment with someone from your health care team or your GP to ask to be referred to CATS.
If you are unable to leave the house (housebound) you or your carer should get in touch with your GP to ask for a District Nurse to call round to do a continence assessment.
For more information you can visit https://www.nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk/OurServicesA-Z/ContinenceAdvisoryandTreatmentService/index.htm
NHS Western Isles
Continence service
Health Centre
Springfield Road
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis
HS1 2PS.
To get help with continence problems, advice on supply of pads or sheaths, make an appointment with the Community Nurses in your local GP Practice. If necessary, they will refer you to Continence Nurse Adviser.
Where can I find more information?
www.continenceproductadvisor.org
https://www.nafc.org/mens-conditions
https://www.healthcentre.org.uk/incontinence/find.html
https://www.incontinencechoice.co.uk/shop-by-gender/incontinence-products-for-men.html
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/shop/official-and-only-genuine-radar-key
https://www.incontinence.co.uk/
www.bladderandbowel.org Bladder & Bowel Community – Tel 01926 357220 (general enquiries) 0800 031 5412 (medical helpline) –
www.cobfoundation.org The Cystitis Overactive and Bladder Foundation Tel 0121 702 0820
https://www.boots.com/menshealth/male-incontinence
https://lloydspharmacy.com/collections/incontinence?page=5
https://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/male-incontinence-s1008.html
Please note that Prostate Scotland is not responsible for external websitea and cannot recommend particular products or companies. The websites mentioned above are for information only.).