Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of prioritising patient dignity and choice in continence care as part of the 10 Year Health Plan.

Patients deserve the very best health and care, and by developing a 10-Year Health Plan, we will deliver the three shifts needed to get the health service and the nation’s health thriving once again. We are committed to ensuring that the National Health Service is managed in a way that prioritises patient care and which delivers the best possible outcomes.

NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care, a copy of which is attached, on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff. This guidance covers both urinary and bowel, also known as faecal, incontinence. The guidance states that “…pathways of care should be commissioned that ensure early assessment, effective management of incontinence, along with other bladder and bowel problems such as constipation and urinary tract infections and their impact on social, physical and mental well-being”. NHS England will consider the next steps for Excellence in Continence Care.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the management of faecal incontinence in adults, which healthcare professionals and commissioners are expected to take fully into account when delivering services for people with bowel incontinence. The guidance aims to improve the physical and mental health and quality of life of people with faecal incontinence.