NHS Trusts have come under fresh pressure to end arbitrary restrictions on the numbers of absorbent continence products supplied to patients after ministers reiterated that continence care should be based on clinical need and uphold patients' dignity. The Department of Health and Social Care said NHS services are expected to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and standards set by the Royal College of Nursing when assessing which absorbent continence products patients require, and in what quantities.
The statement came in response to a written parliamentary question from Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford, who asked what steps ministers were taking to ensure NHS trusts comply with national guidance when determining which products are most appropriate for patients.
In a recent written answer, Preet Kaur Gill, responding on behalf of the department, said: “The Department expects services to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidance and the Royal College of Nursing standards. These emphasise that continence care should be safe, effective, and uphold dignity, including provision of products that meet clinical need and are of appropriate quality.”
Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and a member of the Adult Social Care APPG, said: “Everyone deserves continence care that protects their dignity, health, and independence. Access to the right continence products should never be determined by arbitrary limits or local cost-cutting measures, but by an individual’s assessed clinical need.
“The Government’s reaffirmation of this principle, in line with NICE guidance and Royal College of Nursing standards, is a welcome step. Continence care is a basic right. This principle must now be applied consistently across every NHS trust so that no one is left without the support they need simply because of where they live.”
The intervention follows the launch of the End the Pad Gap campaign, which has warned that people living with incontinence are being left without enough products to remain dry, healthy, and independent.
The campaign, backed by organisations including the Royal College of Nursing, Prostate Cancer UK, Bladder & Bowel UK, Dementia Carers Count, and Essity, was launched after freedom of information data found that 53 per cent of 110 NHS trusts imposed caps on the number of continence products available to patients. Of those, 34 per cent limited provision to three products a day, while the remainder capped it at four.
Campaigners say the ministerial response reinforces existing national guidance, which states that continence products should be provided according to individual need and that patients should receive pads in quantities sufficient for their needs, adding that “it is inappropriate to limit the number of pads given”.
Separate guidance produced by the Association for Continence Professionals and the Royal College of Nursing states that the number of absorbent products issued each day “must meet assessed clinical need”.
Richard Maddison, Market Access Director at Essity UK, said: “This response is an important acknowledgement that continence care should be based on clinical need, not arbitrary restrictions. It gives patients, carers, and healthcare professionals a stronger basis to challenge policies that prevent people from accessing the products they need to maintain their dignity, independence, and quality of life.”
For patients, inadequate continence care can have consequences far beyond inconvenience. Poor provision can lead to discomfort, embarrassment, disrupted sleep, skin problems, and avoidable loss of independence. For carers, it can significantly increase the physical and emotional burden of care, particularly when families are left to manage without adequate products or support.
Tracy Whitehouse, Service Manager and Adult Specialist Nurse at Bladder and Bowel UK, said: “Continence management is complex and often multifaceted. It requires a holistic, person-centred approach – there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This must be recognised at the highest level, and change is needed now.”
Helen Pyper, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Dementia Carers Count, said: “Securing sufficient continence products to meet the clinical needs of the person they care for should not be yet another battle for carers. Many are simply too exhausted to challenge what they are entitled to receive. That is why we believe every carer should have a single point of contact who can help them access continence services, advocate for the right products, and ensure that any underlying issues contributing to incontinence are properly addressed.”
