Doctors fear thousands of children could be left without diagnosis and treatment for chronic UTI, potentially leading to long-term kidney damage

Since 14-year-old Holly had an acute urinary tract infection (UTI) in the summer of 2024, her mother, Louise, has been desperately battling to uncover the source of her continued bladder pain and incontinence.

Holly, who is severely autistic and non-verbal, has undergone invasive bladder procedures, countless hospital appointments and even a referral to the mental health team to investigate whether her symptoms were “behavioural”.

While she is still no closer to an official diagnosis, Louise, from St Helen’s, Merseyside, thinks her daughter may be one of potentially thousands of children with chronic UTI, a debilitating bacterial infection of the bladder or kidneys which is notoriously tough to diagnose and treat.

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