Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support (a) is and (b) he plans to make available on the NHS to prevent bladder leakage.

NHS England understands the need for improved services and care to be consistently available for those suffering from bladder and bowel problems.

NHS England published guidance on 16 November 2015 to help improve the care and experience of children and adults with continence issues. Continence problems can be debilitating, often embarrassing and can be life-changing.

The guidance deliberately focuses on ensuring people with incontinence can access a timely and effective assessment rather than directing clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to provide a particular level or type of continence aid because wherever possible we want to help people achieve continence which in many instances with the right advice, information and treatment is feasible.

NHS England is currently refreshing the Excellence in Continence Care Guidance and anticipate publishing this in the next couple of months. This updated version will contain a wealth of case studies to showcase best practice and sign post to the latest evidence based practice to support system change and by utilising the CCG assurance process they will continue to monitor improvement.