Community Paediatric Continence Service
About us
We are a team of doctors and nurses trained in the assessment and management of children who have:
- Daytime wetting (from 3 years)
- Night time wetting (from 5 years)
- Constipation and Soiling (from 6 months)
We are based at St David’s Hospital on Cowbridge Road East (Canton, Cardiff, CF11 9XB).
Your first appointment will be in a local health centre or clinic:
- The nurse will assess your child’s continence needs.
- The nurse may request additional information from symptom diaries or investigations. She will explain what is needed at the appointment and answer any questions you may have.
- The nurse will give advice to suit your child. This will include, advice about drinks, diet or sleep (including alarm therapy for bedwetting), or advice about medication.
Most follow-up appointments will be in a telephone clinic. The nurse will tell you when to expect a call
Some follow-up appointments will be in a local clinic. Then we can talk to both you and your child.
You will only have an appointment with a doctor if:
- You are finding it too difficult to implement advice
- Your child is not getting better even though you are following advice
What we expect from you:
- Please be polite to our staff and treat them with respect
- Please complete the symptom diaries and have them available for telephone and clinic appointments – this will help us to give you the best advice.
- We ask you to help us by following the advice given to you. Tell us as soon as you can if this is too difficult.
- Please attend appointments on time.
- Please answer the telephone when we call during a telephone clinic. Calls will be from a ‘Private Number’
- Please cancel appointments with 48 hours’ notice – this means we can then offer the appointment to another child
- Please tell us if:
- You move house
- You change your telephone number
- Your child changes school
Discharge Policy
We aim to help as many children as possible to become completely clean and dry. This might not be possible for all children.
- We will discharge children from the service when the child is as continent as he or she can be.
- Some children will continue to need some medication from the GP
If you cancel two appointments in a row we will discharge the child from the service.
If you do not bring the child to a clinic appointment without cancelling, we will discharge the child from the service
After discharge from the service, a new referral will be required if additional help is needed.
Help us to get it right:
We like getting feedback on the service that we offer.
You can make suggestions or comments by
- speaking to a member of staff, or
- by contacting the Health Board here
How to access
The service currently accepts referrals from any health professionals who have concerns about a child’s continence. Please note that referral pathways are being examined and this will change in the future.
Useful links:
ERIC - The Children's Bowel and Bladder Charity
Information for parents and careers, healthcare professionals and early year and education professionals about children and young people with a bowel or bladder condition.
Tel: 0845 3709009
Website: www.eric.org.uk
Bladder and Bowel UK
Advice and information on all bladder and bowel issues in children and young people including those with additional needs.
Website: www.bbuk.org.uk/children-young-people/
Tel: 0161 6078219
NICE Guidelines
Management of Bedwetting in children and young people https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg111
Constipation in children and young people: diagnosis and management https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg99
Return to Children, Young People and Family Health Services