To identify the current practice of patient preparation prior to intravenous urography (IVU) in England and Wales.Seventy-two hospitals were contacted to request details regarding the duration of fluid restriction, adherence to a low-residue diet, or use of laxatives for patient preparation before IVU examinations.Results showed that out of 45 hospitals that still use IVU, only six (13.3%) did not follow a patient-preparation regime. The vast majority of the hospitals contacted (87.6%), implemented either fluid and/or food restriction, or prescribed laxatives. The duration of fluid and food restriction varied from 2–12h duration, and some departments advocated 48h of laxatives.A large proportion of hospitals are not practising evidence-based medicine in relation to IVU, and we suggest that the practice of patient preparation should be abandoned.