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Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation trust will lead a new virtual specialist surgical centre, designed to tackle complex rare urogenital disorders such as pelvic floor dysfunction and bladder control problems.

The new centre is one of 24 European Reference Networks being established. It aims to bring together leading surgeons and medical experts to ensure that knowledge on rare urogenital disorders is shared with healthcare providers.

Virtual online forums will provide clinicians and medics with a platform on which they can share and develop specialised surgical skills.

The virtual centre aims to improve access to diagnosis and treatment for those suffering with rare or complex urogenital conditions, and also encourage more research and specialist training in the field.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation trust was one of only six NHS trusts across the UK named as a European Reference Network coordinating site.

Professor Chris Chapple, consultant urologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been named as the coordinating site for the new European Reference Network for rare and complex urogenital diseases and conditions. Our expertise in this field is second to none, and by working collaboratively with some of the best hospitals in the UK and Europe we hope to be able to attract vital funding, training and research which could make all the difference to patients who cannot undertake activities we normally take for granted as a result of these complex, and often highly embarrassing disorders.”

Written by Reece Armstrong