Hospitals Failing Parkinson's Patients Over Timing, UK

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease
Article Date: 01 May 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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People with Parkinson's are having to stay in hospital longer and are getting physically worse because of not getting their medication on time, according to specialist nurses across the UK. The survey carried out by the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) among Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists (PDNS) released today blamed a number of factors, including inflexible drug rounds and a lack of understanding amongst ward staff for the situation.

When a person with Parkinson's is unable to take their prescribed medication at the right time, their symptoms become uncontrolled and they can become very ill. The 'Get it on time' campaign, launched today by the PDS, is aiming to change this and ensure every person with Parkinson's will get the right medication at the right time whenever they go into any hospital or care home in the UK.

The survey conducted amongst PDNS's revealed a number of worrying findings:

* Not a single nurse believed that patients with Parkinson's were guaranteed to receive their medication on time

* Seven out of ten nurses said that people with Parkinson's could not rely on getting their medication on time

* Nine out of ten nurses felt that patients with Parkinson's experience clinical problems or an extended hospital stay as a result of missed or late administration of their medication

Steve Ford, Chief Executive of the Parkinson's Disease Society, said: "It's completely unacceptable that people with Parkinson's are currently anxious about being admitted into hospitals and care homes across the UK because of a real risk that their Parkinson's will get a lot worse. We want all hospitals to immediately implement the standards laid down by the Department of Health for medicines' management and have written to every Chief Executive within the NHS to ask them if they are aware of what is happening for patients with Parkinson's in their hospital."

"This is not about the numbers of nursing staff. It's about wanting hospital employees to understand Parkinson's better and what happens to people when they don't get their medication on time. We urge them to listen to the person with Parkinson's, their carers and their families, as they know exactly how to manage their condition."

The PDS wants:

* All staff working in hospitals and care homes to have a better understanding of Parkinson's and why the timing of drugs is crucial

* Hospital and care home staff to listen to people with Parkinson's, their carers and their families

* Hospital pharmacists to make sure they always stock a broad range of Parkinson's medication, which is also easily accessible

* People with Parkinson's to have the option to self-medicate (control their own medication) if they are able to

* People with Parkinson's to have their medication on time.

Read about the campaign at Get it on time campaign pages of the The Parkinson's Disease Society's web site.

The Parkinson's Disease Society