Incontinence (Hansard, 23 July 1997)

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement minimum mandatory standards for incontinence care provided throughout the NHS. [8981]
598W

§ Mr. Boateng
Ministers have made a manifesto commitment to a long-term care charter to define standards for health, housing and social services. Additionally, the Government are planning to review the patients charter. Both of these charters are likely to provide an opportunity to develop, in liaison with a wide range of health and social care professionals and members of the public, standards which will improve not only the quality and delivery of incontinence care but other services which are aimed at the rehabilitative and long-term care needs of individuals.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department plans to make of the implementation by health authorities of its guidelines on incontinence care. [8982]

§ Mr. Boateng
The Department of Health issued its guidelines, "An Agenda for Action on Continence Services" in 1991. Since 1991, the Department has continued to concentrate on the implementation of these guidelines through the funding of research; the setting up of a national resource centre and the promotion of annual public awareness campaigns on issues of prevention and early intervention.
"The NHS Priorities and Planning Guidelines for 1994–95" required health authorities to ensure that their continence services conformed to the good practice guidelines in "An Agenda for Action on Continence Services". In addition, health authorities were required to set targets for reducing the prevalence of incontinence in their local population. The Department of Health is currently examining the findings and recommendations of several reports it commissioned in response to the recommendations set out in the guidelines to determine the measures necessary to ensure the continual improvement of incontinence services.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the incidence of incontinence among people below the age of 60 years. [8983]

§ Mr. Boateng
Information is not available on the incidence of incontinence. Information on prevalence is that 7 per cent. of adults aged under 60 living in private households reported having bladder problems in the 1995 "Health Survey for England". Further information is available on pages 134 to 137 of the publication "Health Survey for England 1995", copies of which are available in the Library.