Urology

We are recognised nationally as a specialist paediatric service for urology within the UK. Our patients come from across the country and around the world to be treated for conditions they were born with or developed during childhood. Each year, our team is involved in more than 4,000 outpatient visits and more than 1,000 surgeries and day case admissions.

Conditions we treat

We treat all problems of the internal and external genito-urinary systems in both boys and girls. We care for children with anomalies of the external genitalia such as hypospadias, hydroceles (swellings in the scrotum), undescended testes and other penile and scrotal problems in males up to the age of 18.

We offer laparoscopic or keyhole surgery for many conditions.

We care for children and young people with kidney, ureter, bladder, and urethral problems that are; noted ante-natal, following birth, that develop in childhood or as a young person or following injury. We also care long-term for children and young people that are affected by cancers within the urogenital tract.

Our team also works closely with the Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) service.

Important information about bladder tests

Parents of Urology patients may receive a letter from us with appointment details for a bladder test. The letter has some important instructions to follow, or your child’s test may be cancelled.

Before the test, your child needs to begin a short course of antibiotics, you will receive a letter to explain this. We will also send a letter directly to your GP who will be asked to prescribe the antibiotics.

It is important to start your child on the antibiotics course the day before the test.

Information for families

Help for bladder and voiding problems

Our Urology Treatment Centre Team (TCT) provides expert care to boys, girls and young people with functional bladder problems which can result from bladder storage and emptying difficulties. These difficulties can present as day and night wetting, urinary tract infection, painful voiding and difficulties emptying the bladder. We have access to psychological support and have a play specialist as a part of our team.

We offer a range of assessment and treatment options including urodynamics, flow studies, biofeedback, pelvic-floor training, and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. The use of therapeutic play is integrated into our model of care, and we use a variety of approaches to work with children and young people. These include art therapy, poetry, dance and movement and drama. We have started to ask the children and young people what they want from our service and also evaluate our outcomes.

We also care for children with neurologic diseases such as spina bifida that affect the bladder and result in poor bladder emptying or incontinence.

Bowel management

As a part of our research in Urology, we have explored the impact of using rectal irrigation in children with neurogenic bowel. We aim to support the child and family in the management of continence and have developed our skills in using irrigation with children. An outcome of our research study has been a Rectal Irrigation Toolkit which can be used by parents, professionals, and voluntary organisations.

Research

Clinical research is an important part of our service and helps us to find the best ways to care for children and young people with urological anomalies.

We also undertake patient experience research which we use to shape our service, develop expertise, and introduce new treatments.

Transition service

Our transition service is unique. Transition begins by identifying those individuals who are ready for care in adult urology services. Through our Transition Pathway, we aim to deliver our patients onwards with a package of identified care needs.

Our adolescent urologist at Alder Hey continues the future care in our partner adult hospital in Liverpool. We believe that this approach encourages greater engagement and involvement for the patient and their family. We also have a new and exciting transition role with the appointment of a paediatric and adolescent gynaecologist shared between Alder Hey and the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Community Services: Liverpool & Sefton 

The Children’s Continence Promotion service is a community-based service offering advice, assessment, treatment and management of bladder and bowel dysfunction (bedwetting, daytime wetting, constipation and soiling) to children and young people up to 16 years of age across the Liverpool and Sefton area.

The service will see children who have failed first-line interventions by health visitors/school health or those who need further support.

Following referral to the service, children will be assessed in a clinic, their school, or their own home. Following the assessment, the child will be managed in primary care in partnership with their GP, or referred to secondary care.

Contact us and find our community clinics.

Liverpool Clinic

You can call the Liverpool community team on 0151 295 3993. We are based at:

Children’s Community Bladder and Bowel Service
Merseycare Foundation Trust
Queens Drive Health Centre
Moor Lane
L4 6XG

Sefton Clinic

Referrals

Liverpool

We have a self-referral service, and you can refer your child by calling 0151 295 3993.

Patients registered with a Liverpool GP can also be referred using the service referral form which can be posted to us or faxed to 0151 295 3992.

Patients can also be referred using the Choose and Book system.

Sefton

Contact us

If you feel your child needs to see a member of our team you can make an appointment via your GP. We are on the national Choose and Book system and can offer you an outpatient appointment within five weeks.

Diagnostic investigations are delivered within the national targets of two to four weeks.