National guidelines
High-quality, efficient and comprehensive services are
aims of the NHS, and several documents that have been developed over the last few years highlight this ongoing
aim (DH, 2007; 2009; Loveday et al, 2013). These guidelines
have identified that patients require protection from
healthcare-acquired infection and that there needs to be a
reduction in the rate of UTIs for patients in care settings
provided by the NHS to prevent E coli and meticillinresistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias and
other preventable UTIs and CAUTIs.
Ensuring best practice national guidelines are followed
requires collaboration with all health care professionals,
it is imperative that continence services work collectively
with other services such as infection, prevention and
control teams, falls and syncope services, urology and
urogynecology services, district nursing teams and GPs, and
empower nurses to support and work with the plethora of
national best practice guidelines. Nursing and midwifery
staff have the potential to transform and develop best
practice models to achieve a responsive, equitable service
to benefit their patients care.