Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

The Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Team specialise in supporting patients with symptoms relating to pregnancy and childbirth, bladder, bowel and/or sexual dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain.  We also support patients following pelvic surgery, for example, following hysterectomy, prolapse repair or prostatectomy and following major breast surgery, such as mastectomy or axillary node clearance.

Our Team covers both in-patients and out-patients services, visiting the post-natal wards to offer support to patients who have recently given birth as well as the post-operative wards to offer advice and support to patients who have just had major gynaecological or urogynaecological surgery.  Sometimes, we will also contact patients pre-operatively, before they have their caesarean section or gynaecological surgery, if those surgeries are due outside of our normal working hours.

Perinatal Patients:

Perinatal refers to the time from the time when a patient falls pregnant to the end of the first year following delivery.  We support perinatal patients with symptoms of musculoskeletal discomfort as well as bladder, bowel and/or sexual dysfunction.  We accept referrals from the Midwifery Team, GPs and other healthcare professionals as well as self-referrals.

During pregnancy, patients are sent a questionnaire about their pelvic health to complete.  This is then triaged by our Team and we contact the patient to offer any support they may need.  This questionnaire is sent again postnatally as a way of patients referring themselves for our support after their delivery. Patients are also able to refer themselves directly to our service using an answerphone service on 01553 613292.

During the perinatal period, patients are also able to download the Squeezy app for free.  This is designed to help support patients to regularly complete their pelvic floor exercises and provides advice on bladder function.

Soon there will also be an electronic referral form available here for perinatal patients to complete and refer themselves directly into our service.

Gynaecology / Urogynaecology / Colorectal patients:

We accept referrals from other healthcare professionals for patients with the following conditions:

• Bladder and bowel dysfunction
• Symptoms relating to pelvic organ prolapse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Chronic pelvic pain when associated with bladder and/or bowel symptoms

Surgery patients:

For those patients undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, prostatectomy or breast surgery, referrals are made directly to our Team from the surgical teams.  Depending on patient need, we offer support to patients prior to and following surgery. 

Contact details:

Our Team is based within the Emerson Unit at the hospital.  You can contact us on 01553 613389 with queries.  There is an answerphone for you to leave a message if needed.