FOI-03840

##Request

You asked us:

<i>The request is to see total patient numbers and total new patient numbers for BNF section 2102 split between indwelling catheter patients and intermittent catheter patients, also for BNF section 2128 (trans anal irrigation). 
 
This was shared in FOI-03156 attached for years 2020 to 2024, my request is to now also include calendar year 2025.
 
The categorisation of BNF 2102 into indwelling and intermittent can be done based on VMP categories: 
Intermittent: Nelaton, Dilatation and Reusable catheters
Indwelling: Foley and Urinary Suprapubic catheters</i>

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 1 June 2026. 

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. 

##Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information is attached.

Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

NHS Prescription Services process prescriptions for Pharmacy Contractors, Appliance Contractors, Dispensing Doctors and Personal Administration with information then used to make payments to pharmacists and appliance contractors in England for prescriptions dispensed in primary care settings (other arrangements are in place for making payments to Dispensing Doctors and Personal Administration). This involves processing over 1 billion prescription items and payments totalling over £9 billion each year. The information gathered from this process is then used to provide information on costs and trends in prescribing in England and Wales to over 25,000 registered NHS and Department of Health and Social Care users.

##Data Source	
The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.
 
##Exclusions
The Data excludes: 

* Items not dispensed, disallowed and those returned to the contractor for further clarification. 
* Prescriptions prescribed and dispensed in Prisons, Hospitals and Private prescriptions.
* Items prescribed but not presented for dispensing or not submitted to NHS Prescription Services by the dispenser.
* Items supplied as part of a Pharmacy First consultation or service.

##Time Period	
Answers are based on January 2025 to December 2025 processing data, presented as a calendar year.
For first prescribing, data is taken from all data held in the data warehouse - the first prescribing in the data warehouse for the described BNF sections with an identified patient is 201504.  
Patients may have had prescribing prior to this, but the data is not available prior to this point.
Patients may also have prescribing where the NHS number has not been captured, and so the prescription is not able to be attributed to the patient.
 
Data is limited to prescriptions where an NHS Number was captured during NHSBSA prescription processing, 
the following shows the percentages of prescriptions with an identified NHS Number per calendar year:

<table border="1">
  <tr>
    <th>Calendar Year</th>
    <th>BNF Section</th>
    <th>Percent Identified Items</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2015</td>
    <td>2102 Catheters</td>
    <td>69.63</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2016</td>
    <td>2102 Catheters</td>
    <td>93.29</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2017</td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>93.56 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2018 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>93.74 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2019 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>93.48 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2020 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>94.22 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2021 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>94.88 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2022 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>95.06 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2023 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>95.39 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2024 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>95.65 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2025 </td>
    <td>2102 Catheters </td>
    <td>95.17 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2015 </td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System </td>
    <td>71.7 </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2016</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>95.02</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2017</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>95.57</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2018</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>95.96</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2019</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>96.63</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2020</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>97.23</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2021</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>96.37</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2022</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>97.59</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2023</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>97.76</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2024</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>97.71</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2025</td>
    <td>2128 Anal Irrigation System</td>
    <td>97.06</td>
  </tr>
</table>

 
##Drugs
Limited to the following BNF sections;
2102 Catheters<br>
2128 Anal Irrigation System
 
Catheters are classified into one of three categories:
Intermittent, Indwelling or Unclassified (Unclassified meaning a catheter is present in BNF section 2102 but a classification has not been provided)
 
As per the request, the classifications have been based on the generic name of the product (VMP Name)<br>
Intermittent: Nelaton, Dilatation and Reusable catheters<br>
Indwelling: Foley and Urinary Suprapubic catheters
 
Anything that fell out of this categorisation was Unclassified.
 
##Organisation Data	
Only items that were dispensed in the community in England have been included.
 
Note patients may be in more than one catheter classification if they have prescribing in more than one.  

The Total patients’ data gives the unique patient count for patients in any of the catheter classifications.
 
Within the limitations of the data described above (i.e. this is the first known prescribing after 201504) the data for new patients with catheters has been given in two ways; either split by catheter classification or across all catheters.   

For example, this means if a patient is counted as new for Indwelling' in 2025, they have had no prescribing in this classification (where their NHS number has been recorded on a prescription form) between 201504 and 202412 inclusive and do have prescribing in Indwelling in the 2025 calendar year. 

If the patient had no prescribing in any of the classifications (where their NHS number has been recorded on a prescription form) between 201504 and 202412 inclusive and do have prescribing in any of the classifications in the listed calendar year then they are counted in the Total New Patients data.  

Note patients may be in more than one classification if they have prescribing in more than one. 

The total new patients’ data gives the unique patient count for patients in any of the classifications.
 
Figures for BNF Section 2128 are calculated separately to those for BNF section 2102

##Data Queries

Please contact <a href="mailto: foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk"> foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a> ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

##Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact <a href="mailto: communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk">communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “Data Warehouse, NHSBSA Copyright 2026”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.

Tags: NHS Presciption Services
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log