Women across Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset are set to benefit from faster diagnosis and treatment for urinary incontinence thanks to a new £33,000 Urodynamics machine funded by RUHX and its supporters.
The specialist equipment will help reduce waiting times, cut the number of appointments needed and enable women to receive more accurate diagnoses sooner, allowing personalised treatment plans to be put in place more quickly.
Urinary incontinence affects around one in four women in the UK and can have a significant impact on everyday life. It often develops following childbirth or as women get older, yet many women delay seeking help because of embarrassment or because they believe it is a normal part of ageing.
For women like Jen, who experienced urinary incontinence herself, getting support made a huge difference.
“It becomes normalised, you learn to cope. It’s not life-threatening, but it’s life-limiting. It doesn’t directly limit your lifespan, but it limits the quality of your life, and by limiting your quality of life it can affect other health issues such as your general fitness, emotional wellbeing and mental health.
“I would definitely encourage others experiencing urinary problems to seek medical help sooner rather than later. Help is out there, and I have always found the medical and physio staff to be very respectful and helpful.”
Improving care for hundreds of local women
At the Royal United Hospitals Bath, the urogynaecology service receives around 415 referrals from primary care every year for women with pelvic floor disorders.
Urodynamic testing plays a vital role in diagnosing different types of urinary leakage, including stress urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence, which together account for more than 65% of cases. These conditions are highly treatable, with up to 80% of women benefiting from treatment options such as pelvic floor therapy, medication, surgery or outpatient procedures.
By bringing the new Urodynamics machine into the heart of the urogynaecology service, clinicians will be able to streamline the patient pathway and improve continuity of care for women attending appointments.
Mel De Jaeger, Uro-Gynaecology Advanced Clinical Practitioner at the RUH, said:
“A very heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for such an incredible achievement. Our ladies across Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset will benefit enormously, and it will shave so much time off their patient pathways.”
Mrs Aysha Qureshi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the RUH, added:
“Urodynamic testing is our key investigation when we are diagnosing types of urinary leakage. Having the Urodynamics system within the heart of our urogynaecology team will make a step-change improvement in the way we can offer this service to the women in our care and will significantly reduce waiting lists.”
“It will allow us to provide the whole patient pathway within our female-centric department and offer prompt continuity of care, so important in the assessment and diagnosis of this deeply personal condition.”
Thank you to our supporters
The new machine has been made possible thanks to the generosity of RUHX supporters, including donors to the Bath Women’s Fund.
Their support will help women receive answers and treatment sooner, improving quality of life and enabling them to regain confidence, return to activities they enjoy and get back to feeling like themselves.
Rhyannon Boyd, Associate Director of RUHX shared about this charity impact for the hospital:
“RUHX were delighted to support the funding of this new Urodynamics machine because we know the life-changing difference it will make for women across our community, helping them access faster diagnoses, treatment and support when they need it most. On behalf of everyone at RUHX, I would like to thank our incredible supporters, whose generosity has made this possible and will improve the lives of hundreds of women for years to come.”
Thank you to everyone who helped make this life-changing charitable impact possible.
Pictured below are the excited team with the new equipment as it arrives, and a closer look:
