Parkinson’s UK campaign calls on UK Government for changes to time-critical medication
A campaign launched by Parkinson’s UK with support from several other charities is calling on the UK Government to keep patients safe in hospital by making sure no one misses a dose of medication.
According to Parkinson’s UK, only 52 per cent of NHS trusts in England require staff responsible for prescribing and administering medication to have training on time-critical medication.
People with conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s often have to take medication when they need it and at a specific time (time-critical medication).
Parkinson’s UK is working with Diabetes UK, Epilepsy Action, National Aids Trust, Parkinson’s UK, Rethink Mental Illness and The Richmond Group of Charities with the support of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to call for the Government to take action.
A new report by Parkinson’s UK has revealed that three in five Parkinson’s disease patients are having their lives put at risk by not getting “critical” medication on time when they are in hospital, “which can lead to serious and irreversible harm.”
It claimed a lack of staff training and the inability of patients to either be prescribed or to take their own medication on time amounted to a major safety concern.
The report, called “Every Minute Counts”, said even a 30-minute delay “can mean the difference between functioning well and being unable to move, walk, talk or swallow”.
“Missed or delayed doses of Parkinson’s medication can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and length of stay,” the report said, adding that some patients never recover the ability to talk and walk.
People with Parkinson’s spent an average of 10.2 days in hospital after being admitted as an emergency in 2021-22, costing the NHS £267 million. Not getting their medication on time added four extra days to their stay on average.
Daniel Jennings, Epilepsy Action’s Senior Policy and Campaigns Manager, said: “Almost half of people with epilepsy already struggle to control their seizures with medication.
“Not getting their medication on time can impact on people with epilepsy’s seizure control. This can lead to breakthrough seizures, which could have a huge impact on their ability to drive, or, in extreme cases, increase their risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).”
