Quality standard

Quality statement 6: Indwelling catheters

Quality statement 6: Indwelling catheters

Quality statement

Women with urinary incontinence have indwelling urethral catheters for long-term treatment only if they have an assessment and discussion of the practicalities and potential urological complications.

Rationale

Long-term use of indwelling urethral catheters can be associated with increased risk of urinary tract infections and urethral complications, and can affect daily life. Therefore, healthcare professionals should discuss with the woman (and her family or carer if appropriate) the practicalities, benefits and risks of this treatment.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that healthcare professionals offer women with urinary incontinence long-term treatment with indwelling urethral catheters only if they have had assessment and discussion about the practicalities and potential urological complications.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from service protocols.

Process

Proportion of women with urinary incontinence who had assessment and discussion of the practicalities and potential urological complications of the long-term use of indwelling urethral catheters.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who had assessment and discussion of the practicalities and potential urological complications of long-term use of indwelling urethral catheters before the fitting of the indwelling urethral catheter.

Denominator – the number of women with urinary incontinence who have indwelling urethral catheters for long-term use.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from patient records.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as GP practices, community continence services and hospitals) ensure that systems are in place to assess and discuss the practicalities and potential urological complications of indwelling urethral catheters with women with urinary incontinence before these are fitted for long-term use.

Healthcare professionals ensure that they assess women with urinary incontinence and discuss the practicalities and potential urological complications before they offer indwelling urethral catheters for long-term use.

Commissioners (such as integrated care systems and clinical commissioning groups) ensure that they commission services that assess and discuss the practicalities and potential urological complications of indwelling urethral catheters with women with urinary incontinence before these are fitted for long-term use.

Women with leakage of urine are offered an assessment and a discussion with their healthcare professional about the day-to-day use and possible complications of having a catheter before they are offered this for long-term treatment. This will help the woman to decide whether a catheter is right for her.

Equality and diversity considerations

Women with physical disabilities may have difficulty accessing the service so provision needs to be made for a home visit if necessary.

Women with learning disabilities may need to be accompanied by a support worker or family member and may need to receive information about the condition in a way that is easy for them to understand.

Some women, including those from certain ethnic groups, religious or cultural backgrounds, may prefer to have an assessment and discussion with a female healthcare professional. Provision for this should be made, if possible.