Doctors have called for an official strategy for diagnosing and treating chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) as fresh estimates show there could be four million sufferers in the UK. During the last government, the NHS formally recognised the condition on its website, and treatment guidelines for UTIs were changed, recognising that some current tests and techniques are outdated. However, there is still only one NHS treatment centre in London – the Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (Luts) Service at the Whittington Hospital – and the waiting list is more than a year long.
Dr Rajvinder Khasriya, an NHS consultant urogynaecologist at the specialist clinic, called for an urgent “strategy for management” to help doctors diagnose and treat patients in the interim while new tests and treatment options are developed. Specialists say the infections, which often begin as an acute bout of cystitis, can occur when bacteria become embedded within the bladder wall and become difficult to treat with short courses of antibiotics. The illness commonly affects women and can leave them unable to work, sleep, go out of the house or socialise with friends and family, and in some cases can even lead to people feeling suicidal.
Dr Khasriya told i : “Whilst we now acknowledge and accept that the diagnostics for UTI are not great, we need some sort of strategy for management while we try and sort out a new diagnostic. “It may take 10 years or so to validate something. In the meantime, we ne.
