Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th September 2025

About the course

This is a two day Basic UDS course run at the Watershed Conference Centre in the centre of Bristol. The dates are 9th and 10th September 2025

The course covers the theory of urodynamics and offers some hands on sessions with urodynamic equipment and the urodynamic staff.  

Intended delegates: doctors, nurses, technicians and/or anyone allied to urodynamics who have little or no urodynamic experience.

Learning points

• appreciation of the philosophy behind urodynamic studies (UDS) as part of patient investigation
• basic knowledge of the principles behind the measurement of urine flow and pressure
• basic knowledge of the techniques of flow and pressure measurement
• ability to interpret straightforward urodynamic traces
• appreciation of the artefacts seen during UDS
• basic ability to operate urodynamic equipment

Course Director: Professor Paul Abrams

Cost: £520

Online Booking online booking form

For further information contact buicourses@nbt.nhs.uk

Lithotripsy

There are now many methods of treating stones in the kidney or ureter. Lithotripsy is one method.

Stones can be broken up by focusing pressure waves onto them from a lithotriptor – this is known as "Shock Wave Lithotripsy" – SWL for short.

A lithotriptor is a machine which has the ability to visualise stones either by x-ray or ultrasound.

The energy waves produced by the machine are accurately focused on the stone and travel through the body tissues without damaging them, the energy is dispersed to break up the stone usually reducing it to ‘sand’ or ‘gravel’ – which is then passed in the urine with little or no pain.

The majority of patients are treated as day cases, spending 2-4 hours in the unit.

The Bristol Urological Institute
North Bristol NHS Trust
Southmead Hospital
Southmead Road
Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol
BS10 5NB

Urology Outpatients
Gate 36, Level 1, Brunel building, Southmead Hospital
Telephone: 0117 41360 / 41361
Lithotripsy telephone: 0117 4141718

Urology Inpatients
Gate 33b - Urology
Telephone Number 01174142631 / 01174142630

Elective Theatres
Gate 21 Level 3, Brunel building, Southmead Hospital
Telephone: 0117 4140300 or 0117 4140344

Urodynamics
Gate 36, Level 1, Brunel building, Southmead Hospital
Telephone: 0117 4141220

Urology Administration Office
Support Managers:
Tel 0117 4140898

Research & Education

BUI Teaching and Research. Admin Office telephone: 0117 4147942

Education Lead
Helena Burden
Email: helena.burden@nbt.nhs.uk

Education and Research Administration Manager
Karen Evely
Email: karen.evely@bui.ac.uk

The Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) was established in 1993 as a charity to promote research into urological diseases and to provide high quality undergraduate and post graduate teaching.

In 2010 the Bristol Urological Institute was incorporated into North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) now offers a complete clinical service to patients with urological problems and provides teaching and research.

The BUI intends to remain a patient focused organisation providing the best care to patients with urological conditions, and by working with them, to teach healthcare professionals about urology and to build on its research successes over the last 25 years.

Bristol Urological Institute – promoting urology through research, teaching and premier patient care.

Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways of delivering medical care and test new drugs or combinations of drugs in patients.

Clinical trials in cancer care is extremely important as a means of exploring and deciding on the most effective and efficient means of treating and diagnosing cancer.

The clinical trials team at North Bristol NHS Trust co-ordinates and support the delivery of clinical trials across a variety of cancers including:

• Haematology
• Urology
• Brain
• Head and Neck
• Upper Gastro Intestinal
• Colorectal
• Breast
• Lung
• Skin

If you are eligible for a study that we are running at North Bristol NHS Trust, a member of the clinical trials team will discuss the study with you in detail.

Participation in clinical trials is voluntary and if you decide not to participate, this will not influence your treatment in any way.

The Acute Oncology Service is in place to ensure that cancer patients at North Bristol NHS Trust have a smoother and more efficient care pathway when they are admitted for an acute complication of their cancer, their treatment or are newly diagnosed during an acute episode of illness. 

We help patients with cancer who are acutely unwell due to:

• Complications of their treatment e.g. Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy.
• Complications of their cancer.
• A new diagnosis of cancer where the primary is unknown.

The Acute Oncology Team can:

• Provide advice over the phone if you are experiencing complications due to your cancer or treatment.
• Offer support and advice for you and your family to help you make decisions about your treatment during the acute episode of illness.
• Give advice to other healthcare professionals looking after you.
• Help facilitate an early discharge from hospital wherever possible.
• Work with colleagues in the community to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Act as a point of contact for the patient and other healthcare professionals during an acute episode of illness.

The Acute Oncology Team consists of Acute Oncology and Haematology nurse specialists and visiting Consultant Clinical Oncologists.

The Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) patient services replaces the two urological departments of Southmead Hospital and the Bristol Royal Infirmary which combined into a single department in March 2013. 

The BUI patient services consist of inpatients at Southmead Hospital and Weston General Hospital and outpatient services at Southmead Hospital, the Bristol Royal Infirmary, South Bristol Hospital, Weston General and other community bases in Bristol and the surrounding areas.

There are 14 Consultant Urologists based at the Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) with other consultants who come from Weston-super-Mare and Swindon Hospitals to provide specialist patient services at the BUI.

Patient Services are organised into the specialist areas of urology:

• Andrology (erectile dysfunction)
• Cancer services (kidney, prostate, bladder, testicular, penile)
• Stones
• Incontinence
• Specialist investigations (urodynamics)

We only accept referrals from your GP or a hospital consultant. If you have a urological problem, please visit your GP first. Your GP can decide whether referral is necessary or appropriate.

Once you have been referred, you will be able to schedule an outpatient appointment. We may arrange for you to undergo some tests in advance of your appointment to speed the diagnostic process.

If you have concerns about appointments, investigations, admissions or results, contact your Consultant's secretary or if you prefer, you can talk with one of the Specialist Nurses.

The Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) is a long established research unit.

The Bristol Urological Institute (BUI):

• attracts major national and international grants
• publishes extensively in all areas of urology
• participates in international clinical trials
• promotes charitable donations
• provides premier patient services

The Bristol urologists have always been at the cutting edge, introducing robotic surgery, pioneering urodynamics, promoting minimally invasive kidney stone surgery and investing in community delivered diagnostics.

Teaching has been a major component of our work with our certificated courses setting an international standard and generations of young urologists leaving us with new skills. 

When you are told you have a long term condition such as kidney disease and need dialysis, you can feel that you have lost control, particularly as treatment requires so many changes to your life.

Whilst we are used to having our healthcare provided, we often have a more positive outlook, feel better and more in control when we are involved in our own care. Evidence gathered from dialysis patients who have participated in their own care, show that they:

• Understand their treatment and condition
• Gain confidence
• Feel better in themselves

What does Shared Care mean for me?

It can mean doing as much or as little as you want for yourself, supported by the nurses. As you gain confidence you may choose to learn more skills whilst remaining on a dialysis unit.
You may find that you want to dialyse more independently, in which case you could:

• Do your dialysis at home
• You could go to Cossham Self Care unit. This unit offers more independence than our other dialysis units can offer as it

You can participate in as much of your care as you want. This can include anything from taking your blood pressure, setting up the dialysis machine to starting, monitoring and finishing your dialysis.

What are the benefits?

• More control over your treatment
• Possible reduction in waiting time
• Become an expert in your condition and treatment
• Increased confidence
• Learn to a stage of your choice
• A stepping stone to home dialysis or Cossham Self Care unit
• Confidence when having holiday dialysis

What if you decide Shared Care dialysis isn’t for you?

Not a problem!

Shared Care dialysis isn’t for everyone and if it is not your preference, the dialysis nurses will continue to carry out your treatment.

North Bristol NHS Trust supports the national aim (outlined in the Government's Plan for Growth and implemented by the National Institute for Health Research) to increase the number of patients who have the opportunity to participate in research.

The national target for clinical and commercial research is that each trial should recruit the first patient within 70 days from the date an NHS organisation receives a valid research application.

Performance information on each trial hosted by North Bristol NHS Trust which received NHS permission within the last year can be viewed directly through the NIHR Submission Platform.

If you have any questions about the delivery of our current research, please contact the Research & Innovation Office via research@nbt.nhs.uk or 0117 414 9330.