CONfidence App (UK)
Free digital self-care support for people living with bladder and bowel leakage
CONfidence is a free, evidence-informed continence self-care app that supports prevention, earlier help-seeking, and better use of existing services.
It provides discreet, trusted guidance that helps people manage symptoms safely, understand when to seek help, and navigate care more confidently - reducing avoidable escalation and pressure on primary care, community continence services, and acute settings. With no contracts. No data collection. No technical set-up,
CONfidence offers Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and place-based partnerships a low-risk, scalable way to improve access, consistency, and equity of continence support across their population.
The app can be localised to reflect local services and care pathways, helping people access the right support earlier - while retaining consistent, trusted core guidance.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
Why this app exists
Bladder and bowel leakage are far more common than most people realise - yet they remain among the most hidden and misunderstood health issues.
In the UK:
- 14 million people live with bladder control problems
- 6.5 million people experience bowel control difficulties
- Nearly 900,000 children are affected at any one time
Together, this represents one of the most common - and under-discussed - long-term health challenges facing the system.
The impact is felt across primary care, community services, care homes, education, and acute settings.
Despite this, stigma, embarrassment, and misinformation mean many people suffer in silence - isolated, unsure what’s normal, and uncertain where to turn.
People are often left asking:
- Is this something I should worry about - or just put up with?
- What can I safely do to manage symptoms day to day?
- When should I seek help, and who should I speak to?
This kind of health confusion can delay help-seeking, increase distress, and raise the risk of avoidable complications.
For services, the impact is familiar: rising demand, late presentation, preventable crises, and growing pressure on already stretched continence and primary care teams.
A calm, practical tool for early intervention and prevention
With the CONfidence app, you gain a simple, reliable way to reach people discreetly - including those who may never raise these issues face-to-face.
The app adds a mobile layer to how you already share trusted health information, complementing clinics, leaflets, and websites by putting clear, reliable guidance directly into people’s hands - when they need it, wherever they are.
In practice, the app helps you to:
- support earlier awareness and safer self-care
- reduce stigma and misinformation
- ease avoidable demand on services
- complement existing care, not replace it
If you want to go further, you can also localise CONfidence to improve signposting and help people find local support, with your own branded home page and service directory.
Supporting continence care across the pathway
People living with bladder or bowel leakage don’t move through care in a straight line. Needs change with age, health conditions, life events, and access to services.
CONfidence can support people at different points, including:
- Early concerns or mild symptoms – helping people understand what’s happening and what they can safely do.
- While waiting for support – providing reassurance and practical self-care during delays or gaps in services.
- Alongside ongoing care – reinforcing advice from clinicians and continence teams.
- After flare-ups or setbacks – helping people regain confidence and know when to seek further help.
In each case, the app sits alongside existing services - offering clarity, reassurance, and a safe starting point.
Why mobile apps work for sensitive health issues
Support works best when it’s available at the moment it’s needed - without barriers or embarrassment.
Mobile apps offer:
- privacy and discretion
- access anytime, anywhere
- support that works offline
- information people can return to in their own time
Once downloaded, the app:
- stays with people
- can be accessed privately
- works without an internet connection
For conditions people may find difficult to talk about, this makes a real difference.
Who the app is for - and who it isn’t
You can think of CONfidence as a private pocket guide for managing bladder and bowel health, designed for:
- adults living with bladder or bowel leakage
- children and young people, with age-appropriate guidance
- parents, carers, and supporters
- professionals and organisations supporting continence care
The app is not a medical device and is not intended to:
- replace clinical assessment or treatment
- act as an emergency service
- collect or monitor personal data
Instead, it sits alongside existing services - offering trusted information, reassurance, and support for self-management.
How CONfidence works in practice
Inside the app, people find clear, non-judgemental content designed for real life.
This includes guidance to help people:
- understand bladder and bowel conditions
- manage symptoms day to day
- reduce the risk of flare-ups or complications
- build confidence in daily activities
- access NHS care, specialists, and charities
know when to seek urgent help
Everything is written in plain English and designed to be easy to return to - especially during stressful or embarrassing moments.
Safe, private, and free to use
So you can share CONfidence with confidence, the app has been designed with safety and accessibility at its core:
- entirely free for users and organisations
- no contracts, no sign-up, no set-up
- no personal data collection, tracking, or profiling
- no ads or in-app purchases
- compatible with standard smartphone accessibility features
People can use the app discreetly, in complete privacy - even when offline.
Proven quality and real-world impact
CONfidence is trusted, established support already making a difference:
- PIF TICK certified – the UK quality mark for trusted health information
- Winner, Nursing Times Award for Continence Care
- Recognised and used by health, education, and community organisations
This is reliable, quality-assured support - ready to use at scale.
Suitable for use across Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) footprints, place-based partnerships, and provider collaboratives.
Developed with care and credibility
CONfidence was developed collaboratively with the people and organisations closest to the issue.
The app is led by Professor Nikki Cotterill (UWE Bristol) and Dr Knut Schroeder (Expert Self Care), and co-produced with:
- people living with bladder and bowel leakage
- continence specialists and clinicians
- specialist charities and sector partners
Partners include Bladder & Bowel UK, ERIC, the Florence Nightingale Foundation, Bristol Urological Institute, and others.
This ensures the content is evidence-informed, clinically sound, and grounded in real-world experience - not just theory.
Understanding the system value
CONfidence is a small, predictable investment of time and attention that can unlock meaningful value over time.
It can help organisations to:
- support earlier action and prevention, reducing escalation and complications
- reduce avoidable demand and duplication, replacing scattered resources with one trusted source
- complement existing services and pathways
- reach more people, without buying a digital product
For ICSs and commissioners, this supports priorities in prevention, equitable access, and better use of existing capacity.
Ultimately, the value lies in making trusted continence support easier to find - earlier, and in private.
Supporting sustainability and system priorities
CONfidence supports sustainability in practical ways:
- For people – improved confidence, dignity, and quality of life
- For services – prevention, earlier support, and reduced avoidable demand
- For the planet – less reliance on printed materials and duplicated resources
A small digital intervention with meaningful long-term impact.
What people say
“Very helpful and relevant - delivered in a way that isn’t at all judgemental.”
App user“This gives people the tools to manage their own symptoms.”
App user
Make CONfidence locally relevant (optional)
If you want to go further, you can localise CONfidence to reflect your area or service.
Localisation allows you to:
- increase visibility with a branded home page
- clearly signpost local continence services and pathways
- tailor messaging for your community
Localisation provides a low-cost, low-risk way to offer a branded continence support app aligned to local pathways - without commissioning a new digital product.
Helping people find the right support faster - without the cost or complexity of building something new.
The difference CONfidence can make
When people have access to clear, trusted continence support, they are more likely to:
- feel less embarrassed and more confident
- manage symptoms earlier and more safely
- seek help at the right time
- stay engaged in daily life
Giving people one trusted place for support can make everything feel lighter - for them, and for the teams supporting them.
Let’s start a conversation
If you’d like to explore how CONfidence could support your community or organisation, we’d be glad to talk.