Campaign success as new NHS England programme launches to get medication delivered on time in hospital

Following years of relentless campaigning by Parkinson's UK, charities and their community, NHS England has committed to ensuring that time critical medication is delivered on time in hospitals as part of an exciting three-year Medicines Safety Improvement Programme.

People living with Parkinson’s need their medication on time. A delay of as little as 30 minutes can mean the difference between functioning well and being unable to move, walk, talk or swallow.

And it’s not just Parkinson’s. People living with conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes also need their medication on time. Otherwise, there could be severe implications for their health and wellbeing.

Last year, as part of the Get It On Time campaign, Parkinson's UK published Every Minute Counts report, which found that only 42% of people with Parkinson’s admitted to hospitals in England received their medication on time every time. 

At the same time as releasing the ‘Every Minute Counts’ report, Parkinson's UK released a joint statement with other charities whose communities rely on time critical medication and health professional bodies calling on the government to take action on this issue.

Following meetings with the National Medical Director of NHS England, an emergency summit on time critical medication, and tireless campaigning by the Parkinson’s community, Parkinson's UK are pleased to announce that NHS England has committed to a national improvement programme to tackle this problem.

The programme will run from 2024-2027 and is part of the National Patient Safety Strategy. It will address the most important causes of severe harm to patients. A key ambition of the programme will be to improve care for people by ensuring they receive the critical medication they need on time.

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Source: Parkinson's UK, 27 November 2024

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