Bladder health: “Breaking Boundaries”

 

Bladder Health UK and ITN Productions Industry News have produced a news-style programme Bladder Health: Breaking Boundaries raising awareness and understanding of bladder health, addressing the stigma and challenges for sufferers and exploring research and treatments in the field. 

 

Millions of people in the UK suffer from bladder health issues. It’s estimated that around half of all women in the UK will suffer at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in their lives, yet despite being the leading source of bacterial bloodstream infections, UTIs remain a chronically neglected area of infectious diseases . Whilst its women who are mostly impacted, men and children can also commonly suffer, with bladder infections being one of the common causes of bed wetting in children. With confusion around diagnosis and treatments, coupled with embarrassment many people are suffering in silence leading to emotional distress as well as poor quality of life. 

Bladder Health UK is working hard every day to support people living with bladder illnesses, providing vital healthcare advice to those in need. In collaboration with ITN Productions, Bladder Health: Breaking Boundaries is an informative and positive news-style programme about bladder health that will educate, inform, normalise and reduce stigma around the subject matter; signpost to credible and helpful information via Bladder Health UK; showcase new treatments and research giving hope and relief to sufferers and look at what the future holds for bladder health. 

Anchored by ITN Productions presenter Sharon Thomas, the programme follows a unique news-style format featuring key sector interviews, independent news items in collaboration with Bladder Health UK and a series of inspirational sponsored editorial profiles led by ITN Productions news reporters, filmed on location and remotely. The programme launched at the ACA Conference on 16th May 2022 and will form part of a wider communications campaign targeting healthcare professionals and the general public. 

Suzanne Evans, Business Director of Bladder Health UK said:  “ the team here at Bladder Health UK have been dealing with  bladder illness and associated issues on a daily basis for over 20 years. We experience first- hand the complexities both physical and emotional that having a bladder problem can cause. Raising awareness of these debilitating and often painful illnesses and encouraging more people to talk openly about them is important to us. It is the way we break the boundaries created by the stigma and taboo of admitting you have a problem. Finding the confidence to talk could be your first step to a quality of life you thought was not possible.  

Nina Harrison-Bel,l Head of ITN Productions Industry News said: “Bladder problems are often ignored, unrecognized, misdiagnosed and left untreated by those too embarrassed to acknowledge that they experience them. Our programme, in partnership with Bladder Health UK, aims to change the narrative around the subject and provide a platform to motivate the many with bladder problems to get the right diagnosis and seek the right treatment for better patient outcomes across the UK.” 

Download the press release