NEWS RELEASE FROM THE
REGISTERED NURSING HOME ASSOCIATION
Issued 10th November 2003
RNHA DISMISSES MP’s CLAIMS ABOUT DRUGS
AS ‘ALARMIST NONSENSE’
‘Alarmist nonsense’ is how the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA) reacted to claims by Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow that care home managers in Britain have accepted anti-psychotic medication as a means of managing difficult residents.
The RNHA said it was a ludicrous suggestion, since all care home residents’ medication is prescribed by their own GPs and not by managers or nurses working in the homes.
RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell stressed that GPs were responsible for making decisions about whether patients should be prescribed particular forms of medication to meet a clinical need. The doctors also decided on the dose and frequency with which the medication should be taken.
Said Mr Ursell: “Those of us who manage nursing homes and care for patients round the clock would want our patients to receive only that medication which is necessary for their condition. Over-medication is as undesirable as under-medication.”
He added: “The onus is on family doctors, working in partnership with pharmacists and others, to ensure that all their patients, whether in residential care or living at home, are receiving medication which is appropriate to their individual needs.
“The RNHA supports the principle of regular medication reviews to ensure that changing needs and circumstances are reflected in individuals’ prescriptions, but it is for the medical profession to take the lead in conducting such reviews.”
The RNHA’s comments follow publication by Paul Burstow MP of a report entitled Keep Taking the Medicine 2.
Whilst disagreeing with his conclusions about the attitude of care homes towards the use of medication, the RNHA agrees with the concerns expressed by Mr Burstow in his report about the Government’s refusal to commission independent research into the inadequacy of nursing home fees.
Said Mr Ursell: “Mr Burstow has gone over the top on the question of medication, but is spot on when it comes to his analysis of the Government’s failure to recognise the funding crisis in long-term care.”
END
For further information please contact Frank Ursell, Chief Executive Officer, RNHA on 0121-454 2511 or 07785 227000
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