A year-long study of 578 patients has delivered long-overdue proof: reusable urinary catheters are just as safe as single-use ones, and they use substantially fewer antibiotics. The finding, published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies by University of Southampton researchers, is poised to reshape how the UK's National Health Service approaches a product that millions of patients depend on multiple times each day.
For decades, British healthcare professionals have steered patients toward single-use catheters based on infection risk alone, offering little choice to those seeking a greener alternative. The cost has been staggering. The NHS now spends around £200 million annually on single-use catheters—up from £22 million in 1998—while prescribing approximately 100 million of them each year. A box of 30 single-use tubes costs about £50, a burden that compounds across the health service and the public purse.
The Southampton trial split participants into two groups: one continued using only single-use catheters, while the other mixed reusable and single-use options. Those in the mixed-use group received reusable catheters and a simple cleaning kit—soap and water followed by a chlorine solution soak. Over 12 months, researchers tracked urinary tract infections carefully. The results challenged conventional wisdom. Just 29 percent of the mixed-use group experienced at least one UTI, compared to 34 percent of those using single-use catheters exclusively. Even more striking: patients using reusable catheters consumed 35 percent fewer antibiotics overall.
"Until now, there has been a real lack of high-quality evidence to support the reuse of catheters," said Professor Mandy Fader, lead author and head of health sciences at Southampton. "But, with our study, we can say for the first time that it is a safe option to switch to reusable catheters." Her co-author Margaret Macaulay added that the findings should empower patient choice: "People should have the choice to switch depending on their lifestyle needs—and cut down on the throwaway culture in our health service."
The financial case is equally compelling. Reusable catheters cost less than 10 pence per use and can be reused for a month. If just 25 percent of NHS catheter users made the switch, the service could save millions of pounds annually. Beyond finances, the environmental impact is substantial. Every year, 100 million single-use catheters end up as medical waste in the UK alone, contributing thousands of tons of plastic that could be eliminated through reuse.
For the roughly 3 million people in Britain who use intermittent catheters—often four times a day—the implications are personal. The study gives them something previously denied: evidence-based permission to choose according to their needs. Some may value portability and discretion that single-use offers; others may prefer the cost savings, lower antibiotic exposure, and environmental benefit of reusables.
The research now sits before NHS decision-makers with institutional backing. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and Professor Marian Knight, NIHR's Programme Director, called it "a powerful example of how NIHR-funded research could lead to real-world impact, improving patient choice, saving the NHS millions, and reducing plastic waste." With this robust evidence in hand, the path forward is clear: the NHS has the scientific foundation it needs to expand access to reusable catheters and offer patients genuine autonomy over their care.