This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Poor medication management in hospitals unsafe
Parkinson’s UK has warned that many patients with Parkinson’s disease say they are not always given their drugs on time when in hospital, leaving some unable to walk or talk.
A new report from the charity, Get it on Time, highlights the unsafe reality of going into hospital for people living with the condition, finding that nearly two thirds of people who have Parkinson’s don’t always get their medication on time in hospital and that more than three quarters of people with Parkinson’s reported that their health deteriorated as a result of poor medication management in hospital.
Parkinson’s UK says that not all hospitals are doing enough to ensure care for people with Parkinson’s is safe, with only 44 per cent of hospital trusts and health boards offering mandatory training for staff on Parkinson’s, and 26 per cent not having a policy that would allow people with Parkinson’s to take their own medication, if they are able, once admitted.
Furthermore, NHS figures cited by Parkinson’s UK suggest that patients spent 28,860 nights a year in hospital as a result, at a cost of £10 million.
Lloyd Tingley, senior policy and campaigns adviser at Parkinson’s UK said: "Our new report highlights the devastating consequences when people with Parkinson’s don’t get their medication on time in hospital, and what the NHS and government need to do to fix it. The NHS can improve care and save money by ensuring their staff are trained in how to safely treat people with Parkinson’s, alert specialists when someone with the condition is admitted to hospital and empower their staff to support people to take their medication, if they’re able.
"Help us to deliver these vital improvements for people with Parkinson’s in hospital by asking your friends, family and networks to sign our petition, so we can ensure that everyone with the condition gets their medication on time, every time."
Parkinson’s is a serious and incurable neurological condition that it is estimated 145,000 Britons may have.
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