The Royal College of Nursing held the Bladder and Bowel Care Forum Conference ‘Fundamentals of Continence Care’ in November 2024. Forum committee members and RCN colleagues were delighted to welcome delegates to the event, along with company representatives who hosted the exhibition. The event was held at the RCN headquarters in London, with all RCN Bladder and Bowel Care Forum committee members involved in delivering the lectures and workshops.

Fiona Le Ber, Queen’s Nurse,Education & Development Coordinator, Family Nursing & Home Care, Jersey, introduces the event.

Fiona Le Ber, Queen’s Nurse, Education & Development Coordinator, Family Nursing & Home Care, Jersey, began the day with the Chair’s opening remarks. She was thrilled to welcome the keynote speaker, Jacqueline Emkes, patient advocate who shared her personal experiences and her national involvement in raising awareness of bladder problems, to improve service provision.

The morning lectures continued with Anna Hancock, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Continence Care at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. Anna delivered an engaging and interactive session, testing delegates knowledge on essentials of continence assessment.

Janice Reid, Lecturer in Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Ulster, delivered
an interesting lecture on initial management of continence, including continence disorders and individualised management plans and discussion of first line conservative therapies for common problems affecting both bladder and bowel in adults. Janice explored the need for setting realistic treatment goals within the framework of shared decision making and person-centered care.

The morning session concluded with an insightful update on resources to support continence care, delivered by Nikki Cotterill, Professor of Nursing in Continence Care at the University of the West of England and North Bristol NHS Trust. Nikki highlighted the importance of remembering that each encounter is an opportunity to promote continence, that individuals do not need to be continence experts but need to have the confidence and language to initiate discussions. Nikki explained that enabling disclosure is a priority and signposted to some resources with suggestions about what to do next including:

• The CONfidence app which enables people with bladder or bowel issues to gain information about the causes of bladder and bowel issues, self-help, treatments, products, practical tips and support services. There are additional sections for carers, partners and young people. (www.confidenceapp.uk)

• Continence Product Advisor containment product selection for adults with urinary and/or faecal incontinence. It includes practical considerations for males and females, providing impartial and evidence-based information. (www.continenceproductadvisor.org)

• The bladder & bowel service map highlights the location of adult and children’s services in England by region. The contact and website details for all services are listed. (www.bladderandbowelservicesmap.com)

From the voluntary sector, Nikki highlighted the charities:

• Bladder & Bowel UK (www.bbuk.org.uk)

• Bladder Health UK (www.bladderhealthuk.org)

• ERIC – Children’s bowel and bladder charity (www.eric.org.uk)

Afternoon workshops were delivered and facilitated by committee members with delegates being able to attend all the sessions in small groups.

Karen Irwin, Bladder & Bowel UK, running the puzzle by products workshops.

Karen Irwin, Service Manager / Specialist Nurse, Bladder & Bowel UK, led the ‘Puzzle by Products’ workshops where delegates discussed how introduction of containment products and other resources may help improve quality of life for those experiencing bladder and bowel health issues. They also considered potential challenges faced in selecting appropriate products, including a wide range of toileting aids and equipment that has been designed to enhance incontinence management or assist with toileting. Jenny McCarthy, Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Emerald Nursing Team at B. Braun led a workshop on ‘Demystifying Laxatives’ and Victoria Coghlan, Nurse Consultant Bladder and Bowel, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board led the ‘Catheter Troubleshooting’ workshop

The event received very positive feedback. Delegates were directed to the numerous resources available on the RCN Bladder and Bowel Forum website, including free webinars, informational content, and support materials, accessible here.

The forum also has a closed Facebook page that members can join.