Bowel and bladder helpline

Our bowel and bladder helpline is for any child or teenager with a bowel or bladder issue, or their parent or carer.

Our vision is that every child and teenager with a bowel or bladder condition can access support and live free from embarrassment, shame, isolation and fear. 

The service is run by our small team of advisors, Natalie, Alina and Amy, who have been fully and expertly trained by health professionals to provide up-to-date information and support on potty training, daytime wetting, bedwetting, constipation and soiling.

All our information is based on guidelines produced by NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. We can also direct you to other relevant organisations when necessary.

How to contact us

Call 0845 370 8008 Monday to Thursday 10am–2pm or email: [email protected].

Calls to the helpline cost 9.6p per minute, plus the phone company's access charge.

Out of hours, you can leave us a message and we’ll return your call as soon as possible. We aim to reply to emails within five working days, but there are times when the volume of emails we receive means that it may take us a little longer to get back to you.

All calls to the helpline are treated in confidence and may be recorded or monitored for training purposes. 

We’re members of The Helplines Partnership and adhere to their good practice standards.

What sort of help can you get?

We deal with enquiries on a range of topics related to childhood and teenage continence.

Some of the questions we are often asked include:

• When should I start toilet training my child?
• Why has my child started having wee accidents since starting school?
• Is my child’s soiling a behavioural issue?
• When should I take my child to a health professional for their bedwetting?

Please take a look at the our helpline advisors' answers to the most frequently asked questions:

• Potty training - FAQs
• Daytime bladder problems - FAQs
• Bedwetting - FAQs
• Bowel problems - FAQs
• Help at school - FAQs

You are welcome to call if you just want to chat about your concerns and share how you’re feeling.

Please note, our advisors cannot diagnose or give medical advice.

How the helpline has supported people like you

From April 2016 to March 2017, the helpline team provided one-to-one support to 2,433 contacts. 98% of callers who gave feedback said they would recommend the helpline to a friend.

Read more facts and figures about the ERIC helpline.

I had more help today from the helpline than I've had in the last 2 years from our GP and our health visitor. I'm very grateful for the time taken to understand my child's problem and for the help offered. I feel much more confident already. Thank you all so much.

The advisor I spoke to was very friendly, intelligent and helpful and - crucially - I felt that she was herself an expert in the issue I needed help with, and wasn't just reading from a script. That meant I could have a proper discussion with her, and it was far more valuable than just reading a leaflet or listening to a 'spiel'.

Has the ERIC helpline helped you?

If you’ve been helped by ERIC and are happy to let others know about your positive experience, please email [email protected] or complete our Helpline feedback form. Your feedback will help us maintain a high quality service and reach others who might benefit from it.

ERIC is the only charity dedicated to the bowel and bladder health of all children and teenagers in the UK. We rely on voluntary donations to keep our vital services running. If you've found our helpline useful, would you consider making a donation to help even more children who need our support?

More sources of support and information

• Join ERIC's online community on HealthUnlocked to talk to other people going through similar experiences
• Bladder and Bowel UK - help and support for adults with bladder and bowel problems
• Family Lives - advice and support for families
• Turn 2 Us - help for families in financial hardship
• NHS 111 - NHS non-emergency enquiry line