Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the link between untreated Urinary Tract infections and (a) mental confusion and (b) aggression in patients with neurological injuries.

Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department has funded and supported multiple studies investigating urinary tract infections (UTIs), with some funded studies studying the link between UTIs and cognitive outcomes. For example, NIHR has funded the ‘IntraVESical Preparations for REcurrent Urinary Tract Infection Prevention’ (VESPER) study. This study aims to determine whether in-bladder treatments are more effective and cost-efficient than second-line oral antibiotics in reducing recurrent UTIs in women who have not responded to first-line preventative antibiotics. It will connect clinical outcomes with quality-adjusted life year (QALY)-based evaluations that take cognitive changes into account.

NIHR infrastructure is also conducting relevant research that is investigating UTIs and considering cognitive outcomes. The NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, is leading the ‘DIagnoSing Care hOme UTI’ (DISCO UTI) study which is investigating new ways to accurately diagnose and treat UTIs in care homes, as UTIs can cause symptoms like confusion, resulting in difficulties when diagnosing UTIs in care home residents.