Conclusion
Adherence to catheter care standards and national guidelines
plays a pivotal role in reducing nosocomical infection. These
standards and guidelines emphasise the important elements
of not only ensuring safe insertion of a urinary catheter, but
factors for ongoing catheter management and care. The work
that has been developed within the Newcastle Hospitals
for catheter care incorporates real-time initiatives that assist
practitioners in their every day practice.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
continence service works across the city to support catheter
care in primary, secondary and community care settings
both nursing and residential, patient’s own homes, nurse-led
clinics, day care centres and regionally within the acute trust.
A selection of the initiatives described have been adopted
in neighbouring trusts, with a plan to have a north of Tyne
catheter formulary to work alongside the patient-held catheter
record book, which will provide consistency for patients and
organisations living and working in the north of Tyne area.
The simple idea of the removal and insertion pack is being
publicised within private care settings and is recommended for
adoption for their patients with a urinary catheter.
The provision of a well-coordinated continence service
is a specific recommendation in a number of recently
published national policy documents. The transformation of
acute and community continence services has presented a
great opportunity to improve standards and practice within
the trust. All improvements have been supported by the
development of a range of work streams to ensure that a
consistent, effective and efficient continence care is provided
to all.
Future work streams that have been identified as a result of the
developments in catheter care management in the Newcastle
upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust include:
■■Further development of catheter insertion documentation
to ensure compliance with best practice guidelines
■■An alert to trigger staff to consider when to remove the
urinary catheter
■■Establish partnerships with care homes to offer support to prevent avoidable admissions for CAUTIs and UTIs
■■Further education of clinical staff to ensure that the need
for catheter insertion and continued catheterisation is
reviewed
■■Trust-wide ANTT competency frameworks for
catheterisation for all health professionals.