Fifty six continence advisers, one peripatetic teacher

The increasing demand for the services of a continence nurse led to a novel plan to combat such demand in Leicestershire. The district nursing service seconded a nurse to be trained as an adviser and then to return to the community to set up continence clinics in each health centre. The adviser selected nurses to run these clinics and taught them the skills required to do so. She also carried her own caseload. One hundred and one patients were seen in the clinics in the first year, of whom 30 were cured. In a further one third continence was greatly improved, and the remainder benefited from advice and consultation. The adviser has worked in only six health centres but has had a greater impact on dealing with incontinence than a series of lectures and seminars for district nurses over many years had had.