Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that every local authority and health authority has a local continence pathway in place.

NHS England has established The National Bladder and Bowel Health Project to improve continence care across the whole health and care system. The Project has a specific remit to look at clinical standards for bladder, bowel, paediatrics and stoma care pathways and is in the process of developing evidence-based service pathways to support a consistent approach to continence services.

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (2007) requires Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities to develop a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment of the health and well-being of their local community. NHS England’s Excellence in Continence Care provides a framework that enables commissioners, including local authorities, to work in collaboration with providers and others to improve the care and experience of patients with continence issues.