New neurogenic bladder and bowel service launched
We were delighted to attend the launch of a new service for Greater Manchester – the first of its kind in the country. The neurogenic bladder and bowel service is the culmination of many years of collaborative working facilitated by the network. The initiative has involved a wide group of stakeholders including Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences teams, local continence and community neurorehabilitation teams as well as charities such as MS Together and the MS Trust.
Neurogenic bladder and bowel is a surprisingly common but often extremely debilitating condition in many neurological disorders, with the majority of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affected at some point in their lives. In Greater Manchester, access to timely specialist support is often not available, with patients experiencing a post code lottery of care and long delays to be seen. Many end up in A&E and are admitted to hospital, with costs calculated to be over £5.4 million a year at Salford Royal Hospital alone!
A steering group of key stakeholders worked to together to develop pathways of care based on the clinical guidelines and local expertise. Coloplast agreed to fund the service to get it off the ground. There is now a team of clinicians and administrators in place who ensure patients are seen and treated quickly and then provided with any products they may need. Although the service is funded by Coloplast, patients are supplied with whichever product is most appropriate for them.
The service is clinically led by specialist nurse Clare Crossley (pictured right) and will initially treat patients with MS or spinal injury, with plans to expand criteria in future. The new team will also focus on upskilling local clinical teams and ensuring they work more closely together to better co-ordinate care for patients.
The launch heard from people with lived experience about how the condition severely impacts their lives. Ian who has recently accessed the new service, shared how his life had changed for the better as a result of seeing Clare and receiving specialist treatment.
The service is busy collecting data to help demonstrate its value. There are already many examples already of how being seen quickly by a specialist nurse has resulted in patients being able to restart their lives. These are activities most take for granted like going on holidays and socialising in the pub.
We look forward to seeing how the service develops and expanding in the future so more people can benefit.