This site provides documentation relating to the management of urinary catheters within NHS Borders.
Who is this site relevant to?
All clinical and non-clinical staff caring for patients with a urinary catheter as well as patients and their carers.
NHS Borders Policy for Adult Urinary Catheterisation
The aim of this Policy is to provide guidance to support:
- Improvement in urinary catheter management
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Reduction of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)
- Reduction in the numbers of urinary catheter in use in NHS Borders
- Reduction in urinary catheter related mortality and morbidity
The objectives are to:
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Standardise practise across NHS Borders
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Reduce the potential risk of infection associated with urinary catheters
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Ensure staff undertaking this procedure are competent in insertion of urinary catheters and their management
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Ensure that catheters are removed appropriately at the earliest possible point
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Ensure alternatives to urinary catheterisation are fully considered prior to catheterisation
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Ensure that patients are aware and informed of the risks of an indwelling urinary catheter
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Engage patients in the management of their catheter
National Urinary Catheter Care Passport (NCP)
The primary function of this document is:
• An education tool for the person who has a urinary catheter.
• A communication tool for health and social care staff around the person’s catheter – why they have it, when it was inserted and future plans like trial without catheter.
In this way, the hope is seamless care for people with urinary catheters as they move through the various pathways of health and social care, but more importantly as a means of encouraging selfmanagement of their device in a way which will reduce the risk of complications such as catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).
All patients with an indwelling urethral or suprapubic catheter must have a Urinary Catheter Care Passport completed (excluding maternity and paediatrics).
- For hospital patients, keep passport in bedside notes
- Maintenance section must be undertaken daily and recorded weekly
- If no passport present initiate new passport
- When a patient is discharged, the passport MUST be given to them
- Elective urological patients do not need to be issued with a catheter passport. The duration of catheterisation will be defined by the operating surgeon and documented in the discharge summary.
This is a patient held document which should remain with the patient at all times and be taken to all hospital appointments and hospital admissions.
When a Catheter Passport is complete and no longer in use, it should be filed in the medical record.
Education
NHS Borders have a Urinary Catheterisation Online Programme accessible via LearnPro NHS.
All NHS Borders staff involved in urinary catheterisation should:
- Undertake NHS Borders Urinary Catheterisation Proramme (via LearnPro)
- Complete 2 yearly peer reviews in order to demonstrate competence
- Staff joining NHS Borders must have their competency checked before carrying out catheter management (transferability of skills form available from Clinical Practice and Development (CP&D)
- Bladder scanner training should be accessed via company rep for machine in use