LONDON, Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UK based Medical Technology company Forte Medical is launching a national survey of women in the UK, to ascertain their exposure to urine sampling retests and immediate empirical broad spectrum prescribing, triggered by traditional methods of specimen collection for Urinary Tract Infection and prenatal screening.
The survey is independently created and managed by FemSights, the audience insights specialist for women’s health and can be accessed through Typeform: https://form.typeform.com/to/b4bBRDAz
Initial responses confirm that fixing inaccuracy and infection control issues is important for patients and can streamline right-first-time urinanalysis for healthcare providers; early respondents have noted frustration with retests and lack of hygiene to hands and toilet environment.
When so many previously overlooked areas of women’s health are being discussed and transformed with research and innovation, why does urine collection for UTI and Antenatal Urine Screening remain rooted in the past?
“Latest Government policy around precision, prevention and patient care point to an overdue revolution for this neglected area of routine point of care diagnostics,” says Giovanna Forte, CEO of Forte Medical. “This survey aims to underpin that revolution.”
Liquid gold for precision and prevention
Midstream urine is the global gold standard specimen for UTI diagnosis and routine prenatal screening, yet there is no protocol for its collection, leading to high levels of prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which may lead to increased levels of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) amongst women.
Current NHS, NICE and Public Health England recommended urine collection methods involve the awkward and unreliable start-stop-start technique or require the woman to insert a collection vessel into the urine stream in an attempt to capture the required midstream sample.
Both collection methods result in soiled hands and heightened risk of contamination. More importantly, neither guarantees a reliable guideline compliant midstream specimen for analysis. NHS Patient UK advice even advocates using a washed jam-jar if aiming into the tube or vessel is too difficult, creating risk of glucose contamination at point of collection and potential false-positive indication of diabetes, leading to unnecessary diagnostic blood tests.
First-void urine can carry natural bacteria off the skin into the sample, creating create a “mixed growth” within the specimen, rendering up to 30% unreliable. Midstream urine is proven to contain any problem bacteria that may indicate the issues causing painful infection in the case of UTI, and for prenatal screening highlight any issues that might complicate the pregnancy.
“This survey seeks to generate genuine responses from the general public,” explains Forte. “We are keen to receive answers to key questions such as: are hygiene and dignity important? How many women experience retests? How many women are prescribed an immediate antibiotic – and do they work? When it comes to routine health, women’s voices really do matter.”
EDITORS’ NOTES
- 14.2m urines samples calculated from c10m women presenting with UTI annually plus 4.2m antenatal samples provided through c600,000 annual births each requiring seven urine specimens for routine screening
- UTI cost hospitals over £600m last year: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/utis-cost-nhs-hospitals-over-600m-last-year
- Between 34% and 60% of women presenting with UTI receive a broad-spectrum antibiotic prior to laboratory culture, demonstrating poor antibiotic stewardship and in contradiction of AMR guidelines: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR203362
- Around 20-30% of patients don’t get better with initial antibiotic treatment https://cutic.co.uk/what-is-chronic-uti/
- Up to 70% experience another UTI within a year (CUTIC link above)
- 7 million antibiotic items were prescribed in primary care in 2019/20 to treat Lower UTI (LUTS) at a cost of £47.6m, and 41% (2.73m) of these antibiotics were prescribed to people aged 70+ years (RightCare UTI Focus Pack, NHS Business Services Authority)
- Antibiotic stewardship encourages prescribing on known pathogens, whilst empirical prescribing is still recommended in UTI guidelines, pointing to a greater need for accurate specimens: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6261392d8fa8f523bf22ab9e/UK_AMR_5_year_national_action_plan.pdf
- Up to 25% of Sepsis cases are caused by poorly or untreated UTI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482344/#:~:text=Nearly%2025%20percent%20of%20sepsis,Identify%20the%20pathophysiology%20of%20urosepsis
- Midstream urine collection is not recommended for Chronic UTI, where bacteria are embedded into the lining of the bladder; evidence suggests that first-void urine is a more appropriate sample to establish appropriate treatment for this problem, itself induced by poorly or untreated Lower Urinary Tract Infection (CUTIC)
About Peezy Midstream
- Captures a gold-standard midstream sample into the lab compatible 10ml tube, eliminating risk of post-sample contamination and the need for decanting either at lab or point of care frontline
- Made in the UK by manufacturing partner, Pennine Healthcare
- Widely available to UK GP surgeries and antenatal clinics via the NHS Supply Chain
- Forte Medical website: https://forte-medical.co.uk/
- Forte Medical LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forte-medical-limited/
- Peezy Midstream Instagram and Threads: https://www.instagram.com/40_medical/
- Peezy Midstream Facebook: @peezymidstream
Cost savings and seamless NHS Integration
Clinical trial data is available for scrutiny. E.G: a Public Health Wales GP trial of Peezy Midstream reported up to 66% saving on lab processing costs. Paper available for scrutiny.
About Forte Medical
Forte Medical is a UK-based medical technology company dedicated to improving specimen collection and diagnostic accuracy across primary and secondary care. Its mission is to reduce misdiagnosis and enhance clinical efficiency through innovative, patient-centred solutions. Two new devices are in the pipeline:
Peezy First Stream to tackle early stage cancer diagnoses through first-void urine
Peezy Twin Stream for sports, evidential forensic and employer dope testing
Media Contact:
Giovanna Forte
CEO, Forte Medical
Email: giovanna.forte@forte-medical.com / Phone: 07595 600880
Website: forte-medical.co.uk