The number of NHS patients requiring containment products such as pads is increasing year on year due to an ageing population. Patients with long-term conditions are increasingly being cared for at home, and although incontinence is not a disease it is often a symptom associated with other health issues. Community nurses are seeing patients with more complex needs, but incontinence is often not the primary reason for their visit. Containment products can be seen — both by patients and their carers — as the most effective way to manage incontinence and nurses are often put under pressure to prescribe pads, while continence services are being challenged to review the way care is delivered through innovation and the effective use of technology. This article will look at the redesign of a continence service that has involved the development of a community continence team (CCT), along with a summary of the initially encouraging performance indicators. The CCT aims to provide a comprehensive continence assessment with a focus on rehabilitation. The principles underpinning this service redesign could be applied to any community nursing team.
