Pathogenic bacteria present on the skin of a patient are one of the major causes of catheter related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). The insertion of the catheter makes a break in the skin, and provides direct channel for bacteria to traverse to the blood. Bacteria present on the surface of catheters also form biofilms and can become recalcitrant to antimicrobial therapy. In addition to pathogenic bacteria, the skin harbours a diverse population of non-pathogenic bacteria that can in theory also colonise catheters. These bacteria are typically not identified during routine culture based diagnostic tests performed in clinical microbiology laboratories. In the current study we used culture-independent methods to compare bacterial communities present on peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) with those on a matching skin swab taken the site of PIVC insertion of ten individuals. Our results show that the PIVCs and the skin swabs were colonised with a wide range of bacterial genera, including Methylobacterium, Staphylococcus, Planococcaceae group, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacteriaceae group, Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium and Micrococcus. The Methylobacteria were the most commonly recovered bacteria from both sites. Significantly, the bacterial composition on the skin and PIVC were found to be associated. These findings suggest that the microbiota present on the skin can influence bacterial composition on catheters, and may have implications for both prediction and prevention of CRBSI.