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HRG Urology LogoDr. Harshawardhan Godbole

BLADDER • Kings Oak Hospital, London

Overactive Bladder in London — Kings Oak Hospital

North Enfield, Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, and the Hertfordshire border communities include many adults over 60 for whom overactive bladder has progressively restricted daily life — limiting travel, social activities, and sleep. These communities have historically had limited access to specialist OAB management beyond GP-level prescribing, and referral to NHS OAB clinics in North London involves waiting times that are clinically inappropriate for a condition this significantly impactful. Kings Oak Hospital at Chase Farm on The Ridgeway provides private specialist OAB assessment by Mr. Harshawardhan Godbole FRCS — 10–20 minutes by road from most North Enfield and Hertfordshire postcodes — delivering the complete treatment pathway that these communities have not previously been able to access locally.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is characterised by urinary urgency — a sudden, compelling need to urinate that is difficult to defer — with or without urgency urinary incontinence, frequency (eight or more voids per day), and nocturia. The detrusor muscle contracts involuntarily. Bladder diary and urodynamics guide diagnosis. Treatment ladder: bladder training and pelvic floor exercises; antimuscarinics (oxybutynin, solifenacin, tolterodine) or beta-3 agonists (mirabegron); for refractory cases — intravesical botulinum toxin injection or tibial nerve stimulation. Underlying causes (UTI, bladder cancer, BPH) must be excluded before OAB treatment begins.

### OAB in North Enfield's Older Population — Nocturia as the Primary Burden

Nocturia — waking at night to urinate — is the OAB symptom that most significantly impacts health outcomes in North Enfield's older population. Two or more nocturnal voids substantially increase the risk of falls during night-time trips to the bathroom, contributes to fatigue and cognitive decline from sleep fragmentation, and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk. At Kings Oak Hospital, nocturia is treated with specific clinical attention: the assessment distinguishes between nocturnal detrusor overactivity (OAB-driven nocturia), nocturnal polyuria (excessive urine production at night from cardiac or renal causes), and global polyuria (excessive fluid intake). Each requires a different treatment approach — antimuscarinics for OAB nocturia; desmopressin for nocturnal polyuria; fluid restriction for global polyuria.

### OAB Medication and Falls Risk in Older North Enfield Patients

Anticholinergic medications — particularly oxybutynin — increase falls risk in older patients through orthostatic hypotension, sedation, and dizziness. At Kings Oak Hospital, the OAB assessment for older patients specifically evaluates falls history and mobility before medication selection. Mirabegron, which lacks the orthostatic effects of antimuscarinics, is preferred for patients with a falls history. Bladder training as the primary intervention — without medication if possible — is particularly valuable for older patients where medication risk exceeds medication benefit.

### Travel and Parking Guide – Kings Oak Hospital, Chase Farm

Chase Farm North Side, The Ridgeway, Enfield EN2 8SD. By road from Potters Bar: 15–20 minutes via A10. From Hadley Wood: 10 minutes. From Barnet: 15 minutes. Underground: Cockfosters (Piccadilly Line), 20 minutes walk or taxi. Campus parking available.

Why choose Kings Oak Hospital for overactive bladder?

  • Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, and North Enfield patients choose Kings Oak Hospital because Chase Farm is 10–20 minutes by road — making the multiple OAB management appointments (bladder diary review, medication adjustment, Botox injection) practically accessible without a Central London journey.
  • Nocturia assessment at Kings Oak Hospital distinguishes OAB nocturia from nocturnal polyuria — enabling the correct treatment (antimuscarinics vs desmopressin vs fluid management) to be selected rather than treating all nocturia with antimuscarinics.
  • Falls risk assessment in older OAB patients at Kings Oak Hospital specifically guides medication selection — avoiding anticholinergics in patients with mobility concerns and preferring safer alternatives.

Overactive Bladder cost at Kings Oak Hospital

Private consultation: £300 at Kings Oak Hospital. We accept Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality and Aviva. Call +44 (0)7884 183968 for a treatment cost estimate. [INTERNAL LINK → /fees/]

Symptoms for Overactive Bladder:

It is an involuntary urgency to pass urine which may lead to incontinence. Incontinence may be associated with sneezing or coughing as well and may also be associated with pain the bladder area. This then indicates a diagnosis more complicated than OAB on its own.

Causes of OAB

  • Idiopathic (unknown cause)
  • Dietary such as excessive caffeine/fluid intake
  • Pelvic muscle weakness
  • Medications such as diuretics
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)
  • Neurological disorders such as CVA, parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis

Treatment for Overactive Bladder:

A comprehensive management mode is essential with patients participating and committing actively in the therapy is essential to successful outcomes.

  • Dietary modification
  • Review of medications
  • Prescribe appropriate medications for OAB
  • Tibial nerve stimulation
  • BOTOX injection into the bladder
  • Very rarely surgery

Coming in for your overactive bladder appointment

Kings Oak Hospital serves OAB patients from North Enfield, Chase Farm, Cockfosters, Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, Cuffley, New Barnet, Brookmans Park, Waltham Cross, and Hertsmere via M25. HRG Urology also operates at Cavell Hospital for Enfield Town and Winchmore Hill patients.

Patient reviews — overactive bladder at Kings Oak Hospital

Thomas Williams

Potters Bar

I drove from Potters Bar to Kings Oak Hospital — 20 minutes on the A10. My wife is 74 and had nocturia 4 times a night. I was concerned about falls risk with anticholinergics given her age and history. Mr. Godbole's assessment specifically addressed the falls concern — mirabegron was selected. After distinguishing OAB nocturia from nocturnal polyuria with a bladder diary, desmopressin was added for the nocturnal polyuria component. Her nocturia reduced from 4 times to once per night. Two separate causes addressed with two different treatments.

March 2026

Yusuf Okafor

Cockfosters

From Cockfosters to Chase Farm by taxi is 15 minutes. I had failed two antimuscarinics for OAB with inadequate control and side effects. The Botox injection at Kings Oak Hospital — performed in clinic in 20 minutes — produced urgency relief for 10 months. The refractory OAB treatment available at Kings Oak, without travelling to Central London, was exactly what my condition required.

February 2026

Ingrid Bergstrom

Hadley Wood

My mother is 79 with urgency incontinence. We came to Kings Oak Hospital from Hadley Wood — 10 minutes drive. The OAB assessment specifically considered her age, her cardiac medications, and her falls history before selecting mirabegron rather than an anticholinergic. The age-specific medication safety assessment that Kings Oak provided was the clinical care we needed for an older patient — not a generic anticholinergic prescription.

January 2026

Kevin Murphy

New Barnet

New Barnet to Chase Farm is 15 minutes by road. My OAB had been managed by my GP with the same dose of tolterodine for 3 years with partial improvement. The structured review at Kings Oak Hospital found I was on a subtherapeutic dose. Dose adjustment combined with caffeine reduction and bladder training produced significantly better control than 3 years of the same inadequate prescription. The specialist review that optimised an existing treatment plan was the value of the private assessment.

March 2026

Sanjay Patel

Chase Farm

Living near Chase Farm made Kings Oak Hospital the obvious choice for ongoing OAB management. The bladder training programme calibrated to my specific diary — identifying my habitual early voiding pattern — produced meaningful improvement before any medication was added. The behavioural approach that addressed the specific dysfunctional habit rather than immediately prescribing was the clinical quality I valued. Medication was subsequently added for the residual urgency and the combined approach has worked well.

February 2026

Frequently asked questions

Can patients from Potters Bar see a private OAB specialist at Kings Oak Hospital, Chase Farm?

Yes. From Potters Bar, Kings Oak Hospital on The Ridgeway is 15–20 minutes by road. Most patients are seen within 3–5 working days of first contact. The initial assessment includes bladder diary review, OAB-q questionnaire, and a treatment plan. Call +44 (0)7884 183968 to book.

I wake 3 times a night — is this from overactive bladder or something else?

Nocturia — waking at night to urinate — has three main causes: OAB (detrusor overactivity producing urgency at night), nocturnal polyuria (excessive urine production at night, often from cardiac or renal causes — the kidneys excrete more fluid at night than during the day), and global polyuria (excessive fluid intake producing continuous urine production). A 24-hour bladder diary that records nocturnal urine volumes versus daytime volumes distinguishes between these. At Kings Oak Hospital, the nocturia component of OAB assessment specifically makes this distinction before treatment is prescribed.

I have had two falls in the past year — which OAB medications are safest for me?

For patients with a falls history, mirabegron (a beta-3 agonist) is preferred over antimuscarinics — it lacks the orthostatic hypotension and sedation that increase falls risk with oxybutynin and other antimuscarinics. Bladder training — without medication — is particularly valuable for older patients where the medication risk-benefit analysis favours behavioural management as the primary intervention. At Kings Oak Hospital, Mr. Godbole's OAB assessment for patients with falls history specifically addresses this medication safety concern.

HRG Urology has two Enfield locations — Kings Oak Hospital and Cavell Hospital. Which is better for OAB?

Both provide the same OAB specialist pathway under Mr. Godbole. Kings Oak Hospital (Chase Farm, EN2 8SD) is better for North Enfield, Cockfosters, Potters Bar, and Hertfordshire patients. Cavell Hospital (Uplands Park Road, EN2 7PR) is better for Enfield Town, Winchmore Hill, and Palmers Green patients. For older patients with mobility concerns who may also need falls assessment, Kings Oak Hospital's Chase Farm campus infrastructure provides additional support. Call +44 (0)7884 183968 and the team will advise based on your postcode.

Is tibial nerve stimulation for OAB available through HRG Urology at Kings Oak Hospital?

Yes. Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) involves 12 weekly sessions of mild electrical stimulation near the tibial nerve at the ankle. It is used for patients who have not responded adequately to medication and who prefer a minimally invasive alternative to Botox injection. Each session takes 30 minutes and is performed in clinic without anaesthesia. Mr. Godbole coordinates PTNS for appropriate OAB patients through HRG Urology at Kings Oak Hospital.

Symptoms for Overactive Bladder:

It is an involuntary urgency to pass urine which may lead to incontinence. Incontinence may be associated with sneezing or coughing as well and may also be associated with pain the bladder area. This then indicates a diagnosis more complicated than OAB on its own.

Causes of OAB

Idiopathic (unknown cause) Dietary such as excessive caffeine/fluid intake Pelvic muscle weakness Medications such as diuretics Urinary tract infection (UTI) Neurological disorders such as CVA, parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis

Treatment for Overactive Bladder:

A comprehensive management mode is essential with patients participating and committing actively in the therapy is essential to successful outcomes. Dietary modification Review of medications Prescribe appropriate medications for OAB Tibial nerve stimulation BOTOX injection into the bladder Very rarely surgery

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