Incontinance referral HELP

Can anyone help?

After plucking up the courage to contact my local incontinance team i am now being told that i need to get a referral from my GP! I am sure someone on here kindly posted to say that you could self refer, can anyone help me? I have recently moved house and have got a new GP and as i don't know them very well i will find it extremley difficult to discuss something so personal. I have suffered with incontinance now for 10 years and i only discussed it briefly with my previous GP a year ago.

I would be so grateful for any help with this!!

Mm xx

i dont know if this is of any help in my area your can see the practise nurse if you have a known problem from your last gp practise

The first time I was reffered by my GP but more recently I asked my GP if I could see the incontenence nurse again and he told me to make my own appointment which I did with the one for my area. I also got a copy of the letter the nurse sent to my GP following my visit to her and she had down it was a self refferel.

Not quite sure why they do it like that as the first time I visited the nurse I was told anytime I wanted to see them just to either phone up direct or contact my GP for an appointment.

Gordon wrote:

Millymoo

The following page suggests that you can self refer, there is more information that might be helpful to you.

www.healthcentre.org.uk/incontinence/find.html

Gordon

Hi Gordon

The site that you have kindly given me was one that i had previously looked at but when i called them she did say that i needed a GP referal before she could offer me an appointment.

Paul
That sounds like a good idea if i need someone to refer me i would rather see the practice nurse. I have had severe crohn's disease for the last 10 years so my GP knows my history but incontinance is something that you try not to discuss as i get so embarrassed by it even after all this time!!!

I really appreciate both of your help with this!!

Mm xx

Milly, you can also get refered to the incontinence nurse via your social worker or care manager, if you have one, as well as your GP if you'd feel happier talking to either. I had such a referal earlier this year and the nurse was wonderfully understanding, and you get the pads, or pants free and delivered to your home.
Cheers, Pen.