About the service
The service consists of a team of specialist children’s nurses who support individuals with bladder and bowel problems, where primary advice and intervention by GP education staff, health visitor, school nurse or other health professional has not been successful.
We offer a confidential, friendly service, undertake a comprehensive assessment, which may include investigations such as stool samples, urinalysis, bladder scans, ultrasound scans, physical and abdominal examinations.
We provide a programme specific to the child or young person’s condition in order to promote continence. This may include self-help advice, medication, equipment or toileting aids.
Who do we see?
We see children 1-19 years old, who are registered with a Gateshead GP who commonly have concerns such as:
- Constipation
- Soiling
- Stool withholding
- Day time wetting (over 5 years old)
- Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting)
- Overactive bladder (urine urgency/ frequency)
- Those needing specialist support to achieve their toilet training developmental skills
Waiting Well
Sometimes you may have to wait longer to be seen by our service than we would like.
Where possible, we direct families and professionals to resources and interventions that you can try at home / school before referral.
In some cases this advice can help to maintain your child’s wellbeing, reduce their symptoms or provide other ideas you can try to overcome their problems.
- Speak to your child’s Health Visitor / School Nurse in the 0-19 team who can offer continued support and interventions (Growing Healthy 0-19 Gateshead | HDFT Children’s Health Service Tel no 0300 003 1918).
- Request reviews from the 0-19 team and continue to support interventions.
- Request a face-to-face review with your child’s GP, if no improvements in your child symptoms within 3/6 months.
- Seek medication reviews if medications prescribed are not effective.
- Explore Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust website In this section, including Level One Information Area – Gateshead Health Healthy Bladder and Bowel Presentation which has more information
- Explore Bladder and Bowel UK website (children section) Bladder & Bowel UK home page – Bladder & Bowel UK
- Explore ERIC website Home – ERIC
- Explore Medicine for children website Medicines-for-continenceOct24.pdf
Referral and journey through the children’s bladder and bowel service
Referral into the Specialist Children Bladder and Bowel service is only via a health professional such as your child’s GP or health visitor/school nurse after following the universal advice and use of medications as prescribed for 6 months with no improvement of symptoms.
Each referral is assessed to ensure the child/young person’s condition meets the service criteria. If the service criteria is not met, the referrer will be informed by letter. The family and GP will be copied into the letter.
If a child or young person meets the service criteria, the child is accepted into the service and the family signposted to review the presentation on our website.
Unless there are language barriers, a member of the child’s family is invited to attend the adult only ‘Group Information Session’ to opt into the service.
This session explores bladder/bowel issues and concerns giving advice around treatment, behaviour and medication management.
After attending an information session, an individual face-to-face appointment will be sent within 18 weeks. This clinic appointment enables the nurse to carry out an assessment, examination, and investigations to develop an individualised health care plan for the child / young person to follow assisting in developing a healthy bladder and bowel.
A telephone review is arranged after the face-to-face appointment to ensure you have a good understanding of treatment and medication management.
Families and professionals can continue to seek support from the team with Patient/ Professional Initiated Follow Up’s (PIFU). If no contact occurs in 6 months, care will return to the child’s GP for ongoing management.
What you can expect at your child’s face-to-face appointment
At your face-to-face appointment, a Children’s Specialist Nurse will take a medical history and ask questions about any concerns you have.
The nurse:
Will undertake physical examinations where appropriate. This may include abdominal examinations, bladder scans, uroflow. Urine and stool specimens may also be required to reach a diagnosis or explore a differential diagnosis. Always bring a urine sample to your child’s appointment.
Will provide health promotion advice and individualised information and update treatment plans and medications in order to achieve healthy bladder and bowel habits.
May prescribe medications /continence aids to manage bladder / bowel symptoms. May prescribe disposable containment products for children and young people who have a neuropathic bladder/bowel conditions: National Clinical Guideline Template
Where are Children’s Bladder and Bowel clinics and group sessions held?
Dunston Health Centre, Dunston Bank, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9PY
Bus stops: Dunston Monument. Dunston Bank (swimming pool) Park Terrace, Ellison Road
Train: Dunston Station
Visual story
Please view these short presentation videos on how to access Dunston Health Centre and what to expect at your appointment.
Cancelling / Child ‘was not brought’ to appointment
If you need to cancel or rearrange a child’s appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 445 8417 between 9am and 2pm. Please note, cancelling two appointments in a row can lead to the service following the ‘was not brought’ procedure.
Children often do not have a choice about whether they are brought to health care appointments; the decisions are usually made by those caring for them. There is evidence to suggest that failure to attend health appointments can be linked to child neglect in some cases.
This service therefore follows the Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust’s Safeguarding Children Policy, which includes a reporting pathway to our Safeguarding Children Team when a child is ‘not brought‘ to an appointment, and in some cases when appointments are cancelled.
Sometimes when a child is not brought, we may also escalate our concerns to Children’s Social Care.
Rethinking ‘Did Not Attend’ video https://youtu.be/dAdNL6d4lpk?si=T8PLUKMZBj7J95Xs
Transition to adult services
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trusts services for children and young people provide care until a child is around 19 years old (this can vary and sometimes depends upon educational status and whether the young person has an Educational Healthcare Plan). Continued support will be provided by adult services if needed.
Healthcare uses the word “transition” to describe the process of preparing, planning, and moving from children’s to adult services. The bladder and bowel service offers transition clinics from the age of 16 years old. TIER Network – TIER Homepage
Useful Websites
Contacting the Service
Community Bladder and Bowel Service
Bensham Hospital
Saltwell Road
Gateshead
NE8 4YL
Monday – Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)
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Autism Acceptance Gold Award
Children Bladder and Bowel Team has been awarded the prestigious Gold Autism Acceptance Award from the North East Autism Society (NEAS).
NEAS has been a leading provider of neurodiversity and autism-specific care, education, training and employment services across the North East.
In partnership with the North East Autism Society, the team is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of children in Gateshead.