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Indwelling urinary catheters are commonly inserted in hospital and an estimated 90 000 people living in the community have indwelling urinary catheters. One complication of urethral catheterisation is meatal pressure injury, also known as iatrogenic hypospadias. Both men and women can suffer a meatal pressure injury, but this article examines why these develop in men and how to prevent, recognise and manage these injuries.
 

Key words

Urethral catheters, meatal pressure injuries, iatrogenic hypospadias

You have until 28 October to comment on the draft NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidance for the diagnosis and management of renal cell carcinoma in adults. The guideline aims to improve care by helping healthcare professionals offer people the right treatments and support, taking into account the person’s individual preferences. 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is thought to affect over 3.2 million older men, yet only 400 000 are treated for this condition (UK Parliament, 2009). Some men may experience mild symptoms that they are able to manage while others may be too embarrassed to seek treatment or be unaware that there are treatment options (Emberton et al, 2008). 

This article, one of a two-part series, outlines why BPH develops, how men can reduce their risk of developing BPH and discusses the non-invasive treatment options available. The second article, which discusses the minimally invasive and invasive surgical options for treating BPH, can be found here.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved gepotidacin (Blujepa), a new kind of oral antibiotic pill to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in females aged 12 years and older, weighing at least 40 kg. 

Author: Debbie Gordon, Head of Commercial Services & Education, ERIC

It’s Urology Awareness Month in September and the theme this year is ‘time to act’. ERIC, The Children’s Bowel & Bladder Charity, has been doing just that, undertaking an extensive content project to make continence advice more accessible to families who really need it – but we need more support. 

Author: June Rogers MBE, Independent Children's Bladder and Bowel Practitioner

The human gastrointestinal tract contains the body’s largest community of microbes, comprising trillions of microorganisms collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. Disruption or imbalance in the gut microbiota may result in dysbiosis or leaky gut syndrome. Dysbiosis has been linked to a range of diseases in both children and adults, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma, and various allergies.

One-piece closed bags for colostomies: late-stage assessment, the latest health technology evaluation from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), was published earlier this month.

Author: Catherine Best, Visiting lecturer in nursing, Birmingham City University, Birmingham

‘Wicked’ problems, a term for complex, challenging issues, are inherent in healthcare, and it can be argued that they exist in all areas of life. Yet, it is possible to provide solutions to these problems by understanding the complex nature of inter-process communication, inter-professional collaboration and shared commitment, the successful application of which has the potential to bring about positive change.

An estimated 90 000 people living in the community have long-term indwelling urinary catheters (Gage et al, 2017). Most urinary catheters are initially inserted in hospital (Shackley et al, 2017). In some cases, there are plans to carry out a trial without catheter (TWOC) but in other cases the indication for urinary catheterisation is unclear and/or there are no plans to remove the catheter. Around 50–70% of people with long-term catheters experience problems such as bladder pain, catheter leakage, blockage and urinary tract infection (Youssef et al, 2023). In the past TWOC was routinely carried out in dedicated hospital clinics (Tay et al, 2016), but in recent years increasing numbers of TWOCs have been carried out in the community (Logan and Coghlan, 2022). Suprapubic catheters are often inserted when it is difficult to catheterise urethrally and there can be the sense that suprapubic catheters are permanent (British Association of Urological Surgeons (2025). This article explores suprapubic TWOC in community settings.

By: Maya Pote, Therapy Lead, Ealing and Northwick Park Hospitals, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust; Victoria Jones, Principal Physiotherapist, MSK & Pelvic Health, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

UCCT is exploring the roles of the different professions of the multidisciplinary team. Maya Pote talks to Victoria Jones about the role of physiotherapy, and what she wishes her patients and her colleagues knew about physiotherapy and pelvic health.