How nurses can ensure proper hygiene, timely catheter removal and appropriate patient education to help reduce infection risks associated with the use of urethral catheters. Up to a quarter of patients admitted to NHS hospitals require urethral catheters, with more than 90,000 people in England using ‘long-term’ catheters in the community. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for 80% of hospital-acquired infections globally, and UTIs can also lead to the life-threatening condition urosepsis. Nurse-led initiatives such as trial without catheter (TWOC) protocols help reduce catheter use.