It is estimated that 85% of all patients admitted to hospitals in the USA in 1991 were recipients of a vascular access device (Barbone, 1995). Down-sizing of hospitals and the shift towards more outpatient and day-care procedures has meant that patients admitted to hospitals in the UK are more likely to be recipients of a vascular access device than they were 10 years ago, as their conditions are more likely to be acute. This article will discuss how, with careful management, peripherally inserted central catheters can improve the reliability and quality of vascular access for many patients.