Healthcare worker exposure to hazardous medicinal products

Luke Akehurst MP took to the floor of the House of Commons to call for a Westminster debate on protecting healthcare workers from hazardous medicinal products (HMPs).

Mr Akehurst pointed to BBC footage broadcast last month showing a nurse handling a potentially dangerous new cancer drug without the correct protective equipment considering it's classification as a Cat1B-Reprotoxic substance, a stark illustration of a problem that affects healthcare workers across the country every day. The current regulation is failing to properly protect healthcare workers properly.

Since formally launching the Protecting Healthcare Workers: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products campaign in January 2026, the Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network has been working to ensure this issue receives the attention it deserves.

Mr Akehurst's question to the Work and Pensions Minister earlier this year marked the first ever mention of HMPs in Parliament, and Thursday's Business Question was the next step.

Their goal remains clear: national legislation, enforceable safety standards, and the widespread adoption of closed-system transfer devices for all healthcare workers handling HMPs.

Watch the full clip of Mr Akehurst's question here: https://lnkd.in/eGQz95Y9