Urinary incontinence has substantial implications for the individual and family and has considerable resource implications for the health service. Monthly data in the UK show that 46% of women attending a primary care clinic report having urinary incontinence.1 Women with urinary incontinence can present with either stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, or mixed urinary incontinence (see box for definitions), each of which has a different care pathway based on the predominant symptom. As new treatments (such as botulinum toxin A and surgical tapes for mid-urethral procedures) have become available, and as new variations periodically arrive on the market, updated guidance is needed to reflect these changes.
This article summarises the most recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the care for women with urinary incontinence,2 and replaces previous NICE clinical guideline 40 (published October 2006).
#### Definitions of terms
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