Continence Service

The primary aim of the Continence Service is to provide individualised care programmes for patients with bladder and bowel dysfunction, and where possible, to totally alleviate incontinence. The secondary aims of the service are to provide education to the multi-disciplinary team, to raise awareness, ensure cost effectiveness, to ensure provision of quality and appropriate continence products to our clients, and to improve accessibility to the service.

The Continence Service is available to all clients who reside within geographical confines of the Trust area with the main base offices being in Bangor Hospital, Downe Hospital and Lisburn Health Centre.

There are several satellite clinics conducted every week to ensure accessibility for our patients, and we try and identify new locations that would improve accessibility for our clients.

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• Referrals

  The referral protocol is a very open one, and consists of only three criteria:

  • patients are mobile enough to be able to access clinic settings (although domiciliary visits can be arranged)
  • are motivated to comply with treatment programmes
  • and have no cognitive impairment

  Patients may self-refer by ringing through to one of the above numbers that best matches their locality.

• Urodynamic Service

  The Continence Service also provides urodynamic service, referrals are accepted from consultants and staff within the continence team, where patients have failed conservative treatments and are likely to benefit from surgical interventions.

• Out of Hours

  An answering machine service operates in Bangor and Lisburn base offices.

• Community Trial Removal of Catheter (TROC)

  The continence service also provides a Community Trial Removal of Catheter (TROC) service for patients who are deemed suitable for a TROC within the community setting.  Referrals are accepted from GPs and acute urology services.  This service is also supported by our colleagues in District Nursing.