Patients in the community may often have a long-term urinary catheter in place. The management of this usually falls to thecommunity nurse therefore he or she needs to understand the basic procedures involved in urethral and suprapubic catheterisation, as well as being familiar with potential complications and how to troubleshoot. Catheter blockages are the most common problem encountered in long-term catheterisation and it is important that the nurse knows how to address this methodically and identify and treat the cause. This article offers practical and evidence-based advice on some of the common issues that can arise in the management of people who have long-term catheters in place