The invisible disability: how to manage urinary incontinence in a neurological patient

Urinary incontinence is a significant challenge in patients with neurological conditions, requiring a multifaceted approach to management from a broad range of healthcare professionals. It not only affects quality of life, but also is a leading cause of emergency NHS admissions. The considerable increasing cost of emergency bladder and bowel admissions has highlighted the urgent need for education in uro-neurology across the multidisciplinary team. In response, the Uro-neurology Academy was established in 2023 and hosted an initial webinar in the summer of 2023, which explored a basic approach to managing urinary incontinence in a neurological patient from a medical, nursing and allied health perspective. The webinar also provided an update on the NHS England and NHS improvement neuroscience transformation programme which outlined future commissioning models for neurology, with implications for multiple sclerosis, bladder and urology services. This article will summarise the practical guidance and key points presented by the speakers and chair.