Is Emsella available on the NHS?

Not as part of the standard NHS pathway: the Emsella chair is a private treatment in the UK. NICE, the body that assesses treatments for NHS use, has not assessed it. The NHS pathway for urinary incontinence starts with pelvic floor exercises taught by a physiotherapist, bladder training and lifestyle changes, then medicines for an overactive bladder, and surgery for stress incontinence that does not respond. Emsella sits beside the first of those: it trains the pelvic floor, at an intensity exercises alone cannot reach, for people who have not got the result they wanted from them or cannot keep them up.

Where the chair fits

• After pelvic floor exercises that have not done enough, or that you have not managed to keep up. The chair contracts the whole pelvic floor thousands of times a session while you sit fully clothed; nothing is inserted and you do not undress.
• Before surgery is considered. A course takes three weeks, and the questionnaire at the end of the course and at six months shows you and your GP whether the score has moved. If you have been offered an operation, ask at the consultation whether trying the chair first is reasonable for you; it is not a reason to refuse surgery you need.
• Alongside the NHS. A private course does not stop you using NHS care; tell your GP or physiotherapist you are having it. The ICIQ-SF we use is the standard questionnaire of the published studies, so you can share your numbers.

What it costs privately

A course is six sessions over three weeks, priced per session and per course in writing at your free consultation, with a price match on any comparable written quote and finance available subject to status. Consultations and follow-up reviews are free. The full Emsella guide sets out what the course includes.

Who should see a doctor first

Blood in the urine, pain, a sudden change in symptoms or leaks that started with a new medicine need your GP first. If your leaks come with a dragging feeling or a bulge, tell us when you book: the clinician assesses for prolapse at the free consultation and tells you whether the chair is right for you or what to do next.

Book a free consultation

Call Emsella Clinic on 0207 099 9659 or use the form below. The clinician goes through your symptoms and what you have already tried, and tells you plainly whether the chair is the right next step. The does it work page covers the evidence.