§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the adequacy of paediatric continence services throughout the United Kingdom. [HL2626]
§ Baroness AndrewsA review of continence services was instituted in 1998 by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr Paul Boateng), leading to guidance which recognised that modest changes to continence services would have a significant impact on the quality of life for patients, in particular for children and older people.
The provision of these services in England is a matter for primary care trusts which are responsible for determining the level of services required to meet the needs of their local population.
Common childhood conditions, including paediatric continence, will be considered under the forthcoming National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, which is currently developing national standards. The new standards will help ensure that children and young people are able to access appropriate services at the 144WA right time and that they can take an active part in making decisions about their care.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the psychological and social impact of enuresis on a child with the condition. [HL2627]
§ Baroness AndrewsThere is a well-documented association between enuresis and psychiatric disorder in community samples of children. The rate of psychiatric disorder is between two and six times higher in enuretic children than in controls, but over half of enuretic children have no psychiatric disorder. Psychiatric disorder is more common in those children with both daytime and night-time wetting and in children with other developmental problems. Where a child has enuresis associated with developmental or emotional difficulties, their needs should be fully assessed by a multi-professional team.