Following a clinical assessment and course of continence promotion and/or treatment, some patients may require a prescription for continence products. Once the appropriate product has been prescribed, the patient will be registered with the NHS supply chain.
Continence products are ordered on a 20-week delivery cycle, unless the order is for a patient in the last few weeks of life.
The initial order will be arranged by the health care professional prescribing the products. Once the order is arranged, the patient will receive a letter explaining how to reorder products. This letter contains the patient's personal PIN number.
For subsequent deliveries, patients will need to contact Home Delivery Service on 0800 030 4466.
If the products are not reordered, they will not be delivered.
When the products are delivered, a delivery note will be enclosed which will give details of the next scheduled delivery date. Patients should call the ring back number approximately seven to 10 days prior to the scheduled delivery date.
Deliveries are made by an external agency whose drivers will be in unidentifiable vans and will carry identification. Deliveries are between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. You will be given a date, but the service is unable to provide a specific time for delivery.
If your patient requires a different size of product or if the product is no longer suitable, please contact the Bladder and Bowel Service on 01772 777 480 so we can make the appropriate change.
Please do not reorder products whilst waiting for a reassessment, as this will result in receiving an ineffective product, and there will then be a 20-week wait until you are able to receive the updated order.
Trust provision of disposable incontinence pads frequently asked questions
Tena is the brand name for the range of pads manufactured by a company called Essity. NHS Supply Chain are the distributor for the products. Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) has a contract with Supply Chain to distribute the products for our patients.
Your order is sent electronically to Supply Chain at their offices in West Yorkshire.
Your order is then packed and sent up to Lancashire, where it is delivered to you by the Supply Chain delivery staff. Your nurse or therapist is only involved in deciding which is the best product for you, and not the actual delivery of the product.
You MUST check your full order as soon as possible on arrival, and within 4 days. You are checking to ensure you have the correct type of pad, the correct size of pad and the correct number of pads.
If you think anything is incorrect, please contact NHS Supply Chain as soon as possible, but definitely within 4 days. They will then correct any errors as soon as possible and without cost to the service.
If you have any further queries/concerns about your delivery, please contact the Bladder and Bowel service as soon as possible.
LSCFT (the organisation that provides community healthcare in your area) provides products as a supplementary service. This means that a limit has been set for the maximum number of pads that will be provided, and this is currently 3 pads per 24-hour period. Tena products are specifically designed to meet a variety of continence needs, and your clinician will help you get the best from the pads by fitting and using them correctly. Many people will not need the maximum supply. We do not supply the full range of products distributed by Supply Chain, but our range does encompass products that will meet the needs of those with bladder and/or bowel problems that are not amenable to treatment.
Pads are only supplied to help manage bladder and/or bowel incontinence if this is the best agreed option for the person and an advice and/or treatment programme has first been completed.
No. The decision to provide products is based on clinical factors only. You are not required to pay anything for either the products or the delivery of the products.
You will receive enough products to last you for 20 weeks (using the agreed number of pads you need per day, up to the maximum allowance of 3).
You need to telephone Supply Chain and order some more. Supply Chain ordering phone line: 0800 030 4466.
Your first order will come with a letter informing you of the date that your next order is due. This letter will also show the telephone number you need to call. Please keep this letter in a safe place.
You can order up to 10 days in advance of this date, as it takes a few days for orders to be processed, and you will not want to be left without any pads while you are waiting for the next order to arrive.
LSCFT provides a supplementary provision service only. If you run out early, you will need to purchase the extra yourself. The Bladder and Bowel Service can provide you with details of some mail order services, or details of where you can purchase products in the local shops.
Sometimes running out early can mean that you do not have pads with the correct absorbency, or you may need more advice in getting the products to fit in the right way. Some people do not fully understand how the pads actually work to absorb urine. If you think this may be the case, please do not hesitate to contact the Bladder and Bowel Service or your district nurse, who will be able to offer you individual advice.
Sometimes people experience a change in their health, which means they have used more pads than they were expecting. If this is as a result of a time-limited illness such as a tummy upset, the Trust will not usually supply extra pads but please do not hesitate to discuss your individual needs with your nurse.
If your pads become too big/small or no longer work effectively, you will need a reassessment. Please contact the service to request a reassessment.
Please do not reorder your pads until the issue is rectified, as this will result in a delivery of incorrect products.
The answer to this question is really the same as the answer to question number 8. Please also see question 4, if you consistently use more than 3 pads per day.
You will only receive more pads if you place an order with Supply Chain. Just telephone Supply Chain and place an order when you need more pads (but remember to do this a few days in advance of running out of pads). However, if you find that you are now only needing to use your pads very occasionally, please contact the Bladder and Bowel Service to discuss.
Unfortunately, the answer to this is no. LSCFT holds a current contract with Supply Chain to supply TENA products for the Trust population. However, the Bladder and Bowel Service is happy to offer you advice on where to buy alternative products and to discuss your overall continence management needs further.
Telephone numbers
Bladder and Bowel Service telephone: 01772 777 480
Supply Chain Ordering phone line: 0800 030 4466