§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the safeguards in place in(a) care homes, (b) NHS hospitals and continuing care, (c) private hospitals and (d) the community in respect of covert administration of medicines by nurses, midwives and health visitors. [14957]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 15 November 2001]: As regulated professionals, registered nurses, midwives and health visitors are expected to work to guidance issued by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. Registered nurses, midwives and health visitors may administer medicines in the absence of consent where doing so is in the best interests of the patient, where it has been agreed following discussion within the full care team and with the involvement of the person's family or representative.
The covert administration of medicines should be exceptional, determined on a case-by-case basis, and never a matter of routine practice. Where it is determined to be appropriate, the decision and the medicines administered must be fully documented.
We expect national health service hospital and community organisations to have local policies about the administration of medicines as part of its clinical governance responsibilities for standards of clinical care, for which each chief executive is accountable. For people in care homes, "The National Minimum Standards for Care Homes", produced by the National Care Standards Commission, apply. The Department finished consultation on draft standards for private acute care in October and is currently considering the responses.
For the treatment of mental disorder in situations where patients cannot or do not consent to medication, nurses are required to act in accordance with the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983.