Labour MP Dr Allison Gardner has spoken publicly about her decade-long struggle with chronic urinary tract infections, describing the condition as causing intense pain that has significantly impacted her quality of life. According to the Chronic Urinary Tract Campaign, more than 1.6 million women in the UK experience chronic lower urinary tract symptoms, yet no official medical definition exists for the condition. Gardner recounted experiences of feeling unsupported by healthcare providers who lacked understanding of chronic UTIs and were limited in prescribing extended antibiotic courses.
Gardner’s symptoms began during perimenopause and have persisted for approximately 10 years. She described the pain as comparable to “hot needles” and reported that she felt “gaslighted” by medical professionals who questioned her symptoms or attributed them to other causes. The lack of consensus among clinicians left her searching for adequate treatment options, and she eventually considered drastic measures including selling her home to fund private surgery. Three years ago, she consulted with Dr Cat Anderson, a GP working in both private and NHS settings, who identified a connection to menopause and prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy, resulting in two years without UTI symptoms.
Dr Anderson is leading a medical expert panel alongside consultant urological surgeon Sachin Malde to establish an official definition of chronic UTIs, with plans to present findings to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in 2027. The panel aims to differentiate chronic UTIs from other conditions and improve diagnosis and treatment pathways. In 2023-24, the UK Health Security Agency documented that UTIs accounted for 1.2 million hospital bed days, costing the NHS and hospitals more than £604m.
Gardner is working with fellow MPs through an All Party Parliamentary Group to advance chronic UTI awareness and care standards. The group is advocating for universal GP training on the condition and implementation of patient “passports” to prevent repeated explanations of medical history. Currently, neither NICE nor NHS England maintains a single national dataset specifically capturing chronic UTI cases as a distinct clinical diagnosis, though NICE has recommended further research to establish an evidence base for recommendations.
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