§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the risks to patients of accidental overdoses from hospital drug infusion machines; and if he will make a statement; [35269]
(2) if safety guidelines issued by his Department concerning the use of hospital drug infusion machines include a requirement to keep accurate records of the machine use; [35274]
(3) if he will place in the Library a list of the incidents involving accidental overdoses from hospital drug infusion machines, including dates and locations; [35272]
(4) what action he is taking in response to the recent incidents involving accidental overdoses from hospital drug infusion machines; [35271]
(5) what safety guidelines his Department issues to health authorities and NHS trusts concerning the use of hospital drug infusion machines; and by what means he ensures that they are passed on to staff who operate the machines. [35273]
§ Mr. SackvilleOne hundred and sixty three incidents involving overdoses from infusion systems have been reported to the Medical Devices Agency over the past five years. A list of the dates and reports of incidents will be placed in the Library.
The agency has investigated these reports and issued individual safety warnings and the recommendations for corrective action as necessary. In addition, the agency has recently issued its revised comprehensive advice to the Health Service (Device Bulletin DB 9503 May 1995). This makes recommendations, based on experience gained from investigating these reports, on safety, training, purchasing and management, including user record keeping. Copies of this document are available in the Library. Health service managers are responsible for passing on this information to their appropriate staff.