Women's and neonatal services

Urogynaecology Service

The West Hertfordshire Hospital’s Urogynaecology service treats more than 1000 women each year in clinics run at St Albans City Hospital, Watford General Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Hospitals. 
A wide range of bladder and vaginal problems are seen including:

• Urinary Incontinence
• Urinary urgency
• Recurrent cystitis / Infections
• Painful bladder syndrome / Interstitial cystitis
• Difficulty with passing urine
• Prolapse

As the team can treat both Urology and Gynaecology problems (Urogynaecology) - they can also help women with other symptoms such as period problems or pelvic pain which is really useful as they often occur at the same time.
There are also close links with community clinics and other departments including Physiotherapy. Regular Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings are held to discuss clinical problems and those patients potentially requiring surgery.

Services Offered

• Continence clinics
• Urodynamics
• Conservative treatments – including pelvic floor exercises and bladder retraining
• Percutanous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS)
• Pessary Clinics
• Intravesical installations for Painful Bladder Syndrome (Interstitial Cystitis)
• Continence Surgery
• Bladder Botox injections
• Instruction in Clean Intermittent Self Catheterisation (CISC)
• Trial Without Catheter (TWOC) clinics
• Prolapse surgery
• Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach
• Training for Doctors, Nurses and Midwives

First appointment

You will be seen by one of the team – either a doctor or nurse specialist – who will take a detailed history to find out about your symptoms. Most patients will then also need to be examined. Sometimes investigations are performed on the same day in “One stop” clinics but often they will be organised for another convenient time. It would be useful if you could provide a fresh urine sample.