More than half (58 per cent) of people with Parkinson’s admitted to NHS hospitals in England last year did not receive their medication on time, a report by charity Parkinson’s UK has revealed.
Highlighting how this can affect those with the condition, the Every Minute Counts report said: “A delay as little as 30 minutes can mean the difference between functioning well and being unable to move, walk, talk or swallow.”
On the back of these findings, Parkinson’s UK has launched a campaign to tackle this issue.
The report also included the experiences of people with Parkinson’s and their families.
“Not getting my medication on time has delayed my recovery and left me traumatised,” said one person with Parkinson’s after a hospital stay.
After seeing how not getting his Parkinson’s medication on time while in hospital affected her husband, Anna told Parkinson’s UK: “I live in constant fear that Samuel is going to have to go back to hospital.”
Highlighting that poor adherence to Parkinson’s medication regimes is a problem in hospitals throughout the UK, the report found that:
- One in four NHS hospital trusts does not have policies that allow people with Parkinson’s to take their own medication in hospitals.
- Only 52 per cent of NHS trusts require staff responsible for prescribing and administering medication to have training on time-critical medication.
- Despite 81 per cent of NHS trusts having e-prescribing systems, only 58 per cent of them are using them to report on whether people with Parkinson’s receive their medication on time.
Representatives of Parkinson’s UK met with MPs in London last week to raise awareness of the issue. The charity is also asking the Parkinson’s community to add their names to its campaign.
Find out more about the Every Minute Counts campaign
Parkinson’s Europe is sharing this article for information purposes only; it does not represent Parkinson’s Europe’s views and is not an endorsement by Parkinson’s Europe of any particular treatments, therapies or products.
