National Catheter Passport update

On 29 January, the Scottish Urinary Tract Network (SUTIN) launched a hard copy version of the National Catheter Passport (NCP) which will make it even easier to access.

The primary functions of the document are as:

• 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 such as trial without catheter

The NCP is a person-held document which aims to help provide seamless care for anyone who needs to use a urinary catheter as they move through the various pathways of health and social care. It also encourages self-management of their device in a way which will reduce the risk of complications such as catheter-related urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The NCP will now be available to healthcare staff whenever they order their supply of catheters. The inside front cover of the NCP is completed by the healthcare worker who issues it to the patient, along with essential contact details. Where the catheter is later removed, the passport is returned and reconciled with either the acute care or community notes (for residents care homes, this may then be retained within their care notes). 

The NCP has been developed and tested by stakeholders from various health and social care settings across Scotland. While it is aimed at improving care and communication in the use of urinary catheters, the NCP does not promote their use, but rather their prudent use and prompting early removal and trial without catheter.

SUTIN welcomes any comments or enquiries via email.