Description
About us
We are a small team of specialist nurses who support children with continence problems.
Normal development
Most children are toilet trained day and night by the age of 5 years. If your child takes a bit longer than this to be toilet trained during the day, then they may take a bit longer to be dry overnight too. If your child seems to be struggling with toilet training, wetting or constipation, you should ask your health visitor, school nurse or GP for help and advice first.
Who do we see?
We see children from around the age of 2 years – 18 years (19 years if they are attending a specialist school). The children/young people must be registered with a Wakefield District GP practice.
What kind of problems can we help with?
We support and treat children with daytime wetting (not being able to get to the toilet in time, going to the toilet too often or not knowing they need a wee), bedwetting, constipation (having hard painful poos or going less than 3 times per week) and soiling (having a poo in their pants), toilet training and toileting problems.
Continence products
If the children/young people are not quite ready for toilet training or physically unable to do so, then we can assess them to see if they can receive continence products on prescription. Products are only supplied to children/young people children over the age of 5 years with a diagnosed medical condition that may delay/affect their toileting progress.
We can provide wraparound nappy style products, insert pads to go in pants, washable absorbent pants and mattress protectors, or pull-up pants for children who are already toilet training. We can also advise on where you can buy other products that we are unable to provide such as swimwear, bedding and furniture protection.
How to be referred into our service
Children can be referred in by their health visitor, school nurse, GP or another health professional they may be seeing such as a physiotherapist, occupational or speech and language therapists or specialist nurse.
What happens next
The referral will be reviewed and if accepted, your child will be offered an appointment with either a paediatrician, or a specialist nurse. You will be sent a letter asking you to ring and make an appointment. Please be aware – if you do not ring to make this appointment within 2 weeks of receiving the letter, then your child will be discharged.
Where we will see you
If your child is offered an appointment with a paediatrician you may be seen in the Children’s Centre, either at Pinderfields General Hospital or Pontefract General Infirmary. If your appointment is with a specialist nurse, you will be offered an appointment in the children’s centre at Pontefract General Infirmary. This may be face to face or a telephone appointment. We will then often follow up this appt with regular telephone calls and/or clinic appts, if necessary.
Other useful sources of information
ERIC – www.eric.org.uk (This is a brilliant website, full of information on all children’s continence problems, suitable for parents and children and they also have an online shop selling very useful aids)
Bladder and Bowel UK – www.bbuk.org.uk (Website with lots of information on continence issues, where to buy continence products and a free telephone helpline. Also gives information on a Can’t Wait Card – Free small plastic card or available to download as an app for your phone Assists with access to the closest toilet & helps explain and avoid a potentially embarrassing situation quickly.)
Incy Wincy – www.incywincy.net (This company make swimwear for children and adults with continence problems)
Radar Key – www.disabilityrightsuk.org/shop - £4.75 (to access disabled toilets)