Bladder and Bowel – Care Homes

Who are we?

The Bladder and Bowel Nursing Team are a small team of nurses who have specialist knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of adult bladder and bowel dysfunction.

There is a Bladder and Bowel Nurse Specialist and a HCSW Product Specialist to specifically support Care Homes who have residents with a bladder and/or bowel dysfunction in Edinburgh, East and Midlothian.

West Lothian also provide a Bladder and Bowel service accessible to Care Homes.

Contact Details – For Professionals working in Care Homes

Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian

Address:
Blackford Pavilion
Astley Ainslie Hospital
133 Grange Loan
Edinburgh, EH9 2HL

E-mail: Loth.BBCH@nhs.scot
Please note: E-mails are not checked daily, however we endeavor to reply within 7 working days.

Telephone: 0131 446 4324 (for advice regarding assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management options)
Please note: Advice line for health professionals available Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday from 2.00pm to 4.00pm only.

West Lothian

Address:
Bladder and Bowel Nurse Specialist
Strathbrock Partnership Centre
189a West Main Street
Broxburn
EH52 5LH

Tel: 01506771865
Mob: 07970 156429
Email: CAT@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

How to make a referral

There are two Bladder and Bowel Specialist Services, please follow the referral pathway for the team where your Care Home is located.

Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian – based at Astley Ainsley Hospital

All residents should be assessed by the Care Home staff, prior to any referral to the Bladder and Bowel Care Home Team. Should the resident require specialist advice referrals can be made to our team for Care Home residents living in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian by completing the Bladder and Bowel Care Home Team Referral Form

Please send completed forms to:

Bladder and Bowel Nurse Specialist and Product Specialist
Care Home Support Team
Blackford Pavilion
Astley Ainslie Hospital
33 Grange Loan
Edinburgh
EH9 2HL
OR
Email the form (using a secure email account) to Loth.BBCH@NHS.scot and a member of the team will get back to you.

Telephone advice available:

Telephone: 0131 446 4324 (for advice regarding assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management options)

Please note: Advice line for health professionals available Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday from 2.00pm to 4.00pm only.

For more information on obtaining a secure email address please see the Secure Email Account page

Secure email account page

West Lothian – based at Strathbrock Partnership Centre, Broxburn

West Lothian

Please complete the CAT Team Referral Form

Address:
Bladder and Bowel Nurse Specialist
Strathbrock Partnership Centre
189a West Main Street
Broxburn
EH52 5LH

Tel: 01506771865
Mob: 07970 156429
Email: CAT@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Education and Training

For information on Bladder and Bowel education please see our Bladder and Bowel Training page or the Education Directory where there are various courses relating to bladder and bowel aspects, including:

*Please note*
These courses are provided by different teams; click on the titles to discover more information, including how to book and contact details.

Bladder and Bowel Assessment Tools for Care Home Staff

All Care Home residents identified as having a new or worsening bladder and/or bowel dysfunction should have initial assessment completed by Care Home staff . A treatment and/or management plan should then be implemented and reviewed – this must be completed prior to referral to the Bladder and Bowel Care Home Team.

Below you can access assessment forms and other resources which can assist you with assessment, treatment and management of individual residents.

Essential documentation

Useful information

The Continence Care Service – Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian

Our purpose is to promote high quality professional assessment as foundation of high quality continence care.

The Continence Care Service provides the following services for Care Home residents in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian.

List of services:

The Bladder and Bowel Nursing Team
Ontex Healthcare Home Delivery
Prescription and ordering service for adult urology items in conjunction with local pharmacies

Following assessment and diagnosis, a treatment plan is provided. If treatment is unsuccessful or inappropriate then assessment and registration to provide incontinence products from NHS Lothian formulary is put forward.

Please note for advice and support with stoma bags, please contact:

Email: stomacareservice@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0131 537 2191

Product Ordering

All residents with a new or worsening bladder and/or bowel problem must be fully assessed by Care Home staff (see the assessment tools section above) and a treatment plan initiated prior to the consideration of ordering incontinence pad and urology items.

The aim is to ensure that residents are provided with the most appropriate product to meet their needs from the agreed national formulary.

Incontinence pads are ordered through Ontex Healthcare
Registered residents orders are placed by calling 0345 216 0001.
To register a resident submit a Care Home Product Requirement Form

Urology items To register a resident submit a Care Home Urology Appliance Request Form.
Registered residents orders are placed by calling 0131 537 4572 then press option 1. This includes :

Catheters
Leg bags
Night Bags

Ordering related documentation

Care Home Product Formulary (September 2023)
Care Home Product Requirement Form (March 2023)
Care Home Urology Appliance Request Form (September 2024)
Continence Products Trouble Shooting Guide
Catheter Passport

Additional resources to support good practice

National Hydration information – Health Protection Scotland website with wide range of resources
Skin Damage Assessment Tool
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) – diagnosis and treatment (poster)
To dip or not to dip? – dipsticks do not diagnose UTI in the elderly (poster)

Updated July 2025 MG & HS