- Reference Number: HEY-690/2023
- Departments: Gynaecology
- Last Updated: 30 November 2023
Introduction
This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about this service. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.
What is the continence and pelvic floor service?
This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about this service. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.
What is the Continence and Pelvic Floor Service?
Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction can include urinary incontinence, urgency, frequency and prolapse. These are common conditions and can occur at any age. A specialist women’s health service can help you understand your problem and improve your symptoms, without the need for any surgical procedures.
This entirely female service consists of a Continence Nurse Specialist and a Women’s Health Physiotherapist both of whom are highly skilled in treating and assessing these conditions.
Why have I been referred into this service?
Your Gynaecologist has referred you into this service to help improve your symptoms.
You will be seen by the most appropriate member of the team on a one to one basis. Your assessment will include a discussion regarding your medical, surgical and obstetric history, as well as a physical examination to assess the function of your pelvic floor. This takes approximately one hour.
Following your assessment the findings will be explained and a treatment plan commenced. This treatment plan will be specific to your problem, and is likely to consist of methods to help you understand and improve your pelvic floor function.
Your bladder habits will also be discussed and you will be helped with some bladder training and calming techniques, along with guidance on simple lifestyle changes to improve your symptoms. You will be fully involved in all the decisions about your treatment and care.
A course of treatment will vary depending on your symptoms. We would expect you to show signs of improvement within the first few weeks. Appointments are normally on a 4 to 6 weekly basis, and you will only be discharged once you are in control of your symptoms.
Following a course of treatment
If your symptoms remain troublesome following your treatment, you may be referred back to see your Gynaecologist for further investigations and discussion.
Should you require further advice on the issues contained within this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Specialist nurse on (01482) 604256
Please access the following websites for more information on your Urinary and/or prolapse symptoms and their management
http://yourpelvicfloor.org/leaflets/
http://bsug.org.uk/pages/for-patients/bsug-patient-information-leaflets/154
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about you
We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.
