Tens of thousands of pregnant women and new mums will receive
support to prevent and treat incontinence and other pelvic floor
issues, thanks to new clinics set up by the NHS.
The new services will be initially rolled out in 14 areas of the
country with up to 175,000 women set to benefit from the
additional support every year.
Clinics will offer a one stop shop for women with symptoms,
bringing together midwives, specialist doctors and specialist
physiotherapists under one roof.
Every woman receiving maternity care in the pilot sites will be
able to access the service throughout their pregnancy, which
includes providing exercises that can help to prevent problems
from developing in the first place.
Physiotherapists can teach women how to exercise pelvic floor
muscles correctly, give advice on diet and fluid intake as well
as helping women to monitor their progress.
There will be an option to self refer so that women don’t feel
embarrassed seeking help in addition to GPs being able to refer
patients for help.
Clinics will also provide training and support for local
clinicians who are working with women, including GPs and
midwives.
Research shows that one in three women experience urinary
incontinence in the first year after having a baby and up to
three quarters of these women continue to experience this in the
following 12 years after giving birth.
A further one in 10 women experience faecal incontinence and
another one in 12 will have a pelvic organ prolapse.
The support is part of the NHS Long Term Plan’s commitment to
improve the prevention, identification and treatment of pelvic
floor dysfunction, so that fewer women experience ongoing issues
after giving birth and later in life.
Services will be expanded following the initial trials and will
be available to women in every part of the country by March 2024.
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, NHS England’s Chief
Midwifery Officer, said: “We know many women don’t
report issues with incontinence because they are embarrassed
about seeking help. Bringing together experts in pelvic health in
one place will offer women a way of seeking help quickly and
easily, as well as sending the message that postnatal
incontinence is nothing to be ashamed of and can be treated.
“We all have a duty to share evidence-based messages – including
that incontinence products are, primarily, a temporary support,
and women with incontinence should seek medical support. We must
make sure that these messages are reinforced wherever possible,
and not contradicted.”
“Our message to women is that issues like incontinence are
preventable and treatable and that the NHS is there for them if
they need support, including at these 14 new sites.”
Emma Crookes, 34, from Barnsley, experienced
life-changing incontinence during pregnancy and after giving
birth to both her children and said: “Having my children
is wonderful but the incontinence I suffered was horrendous –
mentally and physically. I was too embarrassed to tell my
midwife, but I couldn’t leave the house because of the pain and
inconvenience and my partner had to take time off work to support
me. I had no idea I could get medical help for it – all the
adverts for pads on TV make it seem like you just have to put up
with it and my friends thought the same, they just said it was a
normal part of having kids.
“I spent a small fortune on pads before I sought help and got a
personalised care plan from NHS specialists. These new clinics
for women to get the support I got, in one place, will make a
difference to so many people like me.”
Background
The pilot services are in:
- Birmingham and Solihull
- Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire
- Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
- Dorset
- Frimley
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire
- Hertfordshire and West Essex
- Lancashire and South Cumbria
- Norfolk and Waveney
- North West London
- Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin
- South East London
- Suffolk and North East Essex
- Sussex
