Project outline

The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for NHS England to “improve access to postnatal physiotherapy to support women who need it to recover from birth” and ensure that “all women have access to multidisciplinary pelvic health clinics and pathways across England” by March 2024 .

The PPHS is nationally driven by NHS England, to improve the prevention, identification and time to access treatment for Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) symptoms during pregnancy and the childbearing year.

Norfolk & Waveney (NW) Local Maternity & Neonatal System (LMNS) successfully bid to become an Early Implementer Site (EIS) for the launch of the NHS England’s Perinatal Pelvic Health Service in 2021.

The service is targeted to support patients with bladder and bowel incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal and sexual health concerns such as dyspareunia (painful sex) during pregnancy and up to 12 months following birth.

Why is this project needed?

The service is targeted to support patients with bladder and bowel incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal and sexual health concerns such as dyspareunia (painful sex) during pregnancy and up to 12 months following birth.

Expected outcomes

We know women or birthing people are at increased risk of developing pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) conditions, with 1 in 3 experiencing urinary incontinence, 1 in 10 experiencing anal incontinence, and 1 in 12 can experience pelvic organ prolapse.

The taboo surrounding pelvic floor disorders is a major barrier to treatments; also, some patients do not realise that treatments may be available.

Having a screening programme in place as a standardised part of peri-natal care will help reduce the above barriers to people receiving the care they require.

Project successes so far

‘Squeezy’ is an NHS endorsed App which has been shown to improve the adherence to daily pelvic floor exercises.

We are pleased to say that from mid-August we have started inviting those who have just had their dating scan to download their free Squeezy

ePAQ Pelvic Floor is an electronic personal assessment questionnaire asking questions about bladder, bowel, vaginal and sexual health. The ePAQ- Pelvic Floor is a psychometrically validated tool and has a large evidence base with regards to efficiency, quality, acceptability and utility in clinical practice.

Each trust has successfully sent out antenatal ePAQ-Pelvic Floor screening questionnaires for those who had their dating scan since mid-August 2022. From January 2023, all will receive an ePAQ-Pelvic Floor to complete again at four months after childbirth.