Continence services cover City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian areas.
(West Lothian Continence services are managed from Strathbrock Partnership Centre)

The Continence Service has several objectives:

• To promote continence where possible
• To raise awareness of continence among the public and health professionals;
• To provide appropriate training for health professionals to undertake continence care;
• To help identify incontinent individuals by using trigger questions;
• To provide a variety of continence tools in order for the Registered Nurse to comprehensively assess the individual, and agree a management/treatment plan that reflects best clinical practice;
• To review treatment and make onward referrals, as appropriate;
• To provide advice and support to patients, their carers as well as healthcare and social care staff.

Many people, from a variety of agencies, may be involved in providing continence care at different levels. However, in line with clinical governance principles, they should all use NHS Lothian policies, procedures and guidelines to reflect best clinical practice.

Professionals who will identify individuals with incontinence, undertake the initial continence assessment, plan and implement the agreed management strategy, they are:

• Primary care staff;
• Staff in Nursing Homes and Residential Care Homes;
• Hospital nurses;

Following initial assessment, a referral may involve:-

• Continence nurse specialists
• Physiotherapists with a specialist interest in continence;
• Designated medical and surgical specialists;