5 December 2024
In response to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) report on the administration of Time Critical Medication (TMC) in the Emergency Department (ED), published today (5 December 2024), Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “First and foremost, we extend our deepest condolences to the patient’s family. Their courage in sharing their loved one’s experience via this report is commendable, and we sincerely thank them for that.
“What is detailed should serve as a call to action for all Emergency Department (ED) clinicians. No patient who enters an ED, should fear their health will be put at risk because they are unable to access their regular prescription when they need it.
“Asking patients if they take any time critical medication, and when their next dose is due, should be one of the questions every clinician asks. This simple enquiry becomes increasingly pertinent given the backdrop of the extreme long A&E stays more and more people are having to endure. In this tragic case – a shocking 52 hours.
“Just consider if a patient needed their meds every five hours – if they were not given them during this period, they could potentially have missed 10 doses and been exposed to serious harm.
“Good, interconnected IT, so a clinician in an Emergency Department can see GP records, can mitigate this risk.
“Concerns regarding TCM prompted RCEM to launch a national Quality Improvement Programme aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the issue, and to improving patient safety.
“Today’s HSSIB report should be essential reading for all EM clinicians, and RCEM will continue to work to raise awareness of TCM to help ensure tragic incidents such as those it details cannot, and do not, happen again.”
