Children’s continence referral criteria
All referrals must be from a healthcare professional who have given initial first tier advice, these include school nurses, health visitors, general practitioners, paediatricians, urologists and Accident and emergency (as per their pathway)
We do not accept referrals from parents/carers or education.
We no longer will accept referrals from CAMHS, paediatric physiotherapists, Paediatric occupational therapists, or social workers.
We will accept referrals for children with night time wetting when over the age of 5 years old until 16 years old unless they have additional needs. Children with additional needs will be accepted until they’re 18 years old who are wet at least twice a week or more. This may be primary or secondary night time wetting.
We accept referrals for children with day time wetting who are four years old or over until the age of 16 years old. We will see children who have problematic urgency and frequency, particularly if this is affecting their quality of life or impacting on schooling.
We accept referrals for children with constipation and/or soiling. Children should be referred if they have constipation for more than six weeks and there’s been no improvement with laxative medication. Children where there are no ‘red or amber flags’ as per NICE guidance (CH99) can be referred to the Children’s Continence service.
We accept referrals from children who require additional support with toilet training. These referrals must be discussed for the Children’s Continence nurse prior to a referral. These children may have a physical or learning disability and should be receiving support from the health visitor or school nurse.
The Children’s Continence service will authorise containment products for children from 4-5 years old who have undergone an assessment by their health visitor and are unable to be toilet trained within the next six months. The appropriate assessment paperwork must be sent into the service.
We accept referrals for children of the age of five years old from school nurses, general practitioners, and paediatricians for assessment for toilet training readiness or the provision of products if they are not able to be toilet trained. The Children’s Continence service will carry out an assessment on these children and will then authorise any provision of products.
Reassessment of product provision and support with toilet training will be undertaken by the Children’s Continence service on a yearly basis thereafter.
Professionals must have given information and advice to parents/carers and children prior to the referral via the Children’s Continence service pathways and have been reviewed by the professional prior to referral.
Please use the children’s continence referral form. For a postal copy of the form please contact our administrative team on 01287 284485. All forms can be sent by post or emailed to the following:
Children’s Continence Service
Langbaurgh House
Bow Street
Guisborough
TS14 7AA