Recent findings from TENA, Essity’s world leading incontinence brand, show that frontline healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about how daily incontinence management is handled. Among those surveyed, 82% have raised concerns about current practices and 95% believe it should be a higher priority, pointing to rising workloads, staff burnout and reduced patient dignity as key consequences. Many also highlight the financial implications, with 49% saying current approaches result in unnecessary costs and inefficiencies across care settings.1

These pressures at the frontline are closely linked to broader challenges within healthcare systems. Evidence from the United Kingdom through an Essity study from 2025 indicates that inadequate continence care can delay hospital discharges and contribute to high bed occupancy rates. A study involving 500 medical professionals found that 29% believe hospital beds are occupied by patients who could be discharged sooner with better continence management, while 24% directly link discharge delays to mismanagement of incontinence.2

Experts emphasise that these issues are not isolated. Inefficient continence care practices, such as limited access to appropriate products or lack of tailored care, can lead to increased hospital admissions, skin complications and unnecessary workload for healthcare staff. At the same time, procurement decisions often focus on short-term cost reduction rather than long-term outcomes, creating what many professionals describe as a “false economy.”

“We recognize that each healthcare system faces its own challenges, but the principle is universal: better continence care leads to better outcomes for patients and more efficient use of resources,” said Anand Chandarana, President Health & Medical at Essity. “Focusing only on product price overlooks the broader impact on recovery, independence and overall system costs.”

The findings also highlight a clear opportunity. By adopting a more holistic, patient-centric approach combining access to the right products, tailored care plans, and improved training, healthcare systems can reduce avoidable workload, support staff wellbeing and improve dignity for individuals living with incontinence. Data suggests that better care planning and product quality can support earlier discharge, reduce readmissions and improve overall recovery.

Essity is therefore encouraging policymakers, healthcare leaders and procurement bodies to take a “total cost of care” approach and perspective when assessing continence care. This includes considering patient outcomes, staff time, and long-term system efficiency alongside product costs. In England, the NHS just introduced a national value-based procurement guidance for medical technology that asks buyers to assess wider value, including patient and staff outcomes, efficiency, supply chain resilience and environmental impact, rather than purchase price alone.

As healthcare systems worldwide continue to face increasing pressure, rethinking incontinence care represents a tangible opportunity to unlock value improving quality of care while reducing strain on both people and resources.

1 Research conducted between February and March 2026 by Augur for the TENA brand including 164 frontline professionals surveyed across UK, Italy, Canada and Australia together with four in-depth interviews with Independent experts from elderly care & continence care.
2 Study of 500 UK based healthcare professionals. Online study conducted by OnePoll 14-21 March 2025.