These guidelines were developed as part of the NHS Executive Consensus Strategy for Major Clinical Guidelines. The methods used for the production of the guidelines were (i) a systematic review of the literature on incontinence and continence promotion and (ii) a multidisciplinary consensus conference of invited experts and clinicians in continence care and consumers of continence services. Since advances in health care may soon outdate current methods, the guidelines do not aim to direct the practitioner to specific named treatments. Rather, the aim is to aid clinicians in making decisions about purchasing and providing appropriate continence services in Primary Care.