Tayside hospital drugs records to be kept longer
Records of drugs transported on a public service bus between Tayside hospitals will now be retained for six months, it has emerged.
Fraser Macpherson.
- By Marjory Inglis, health reporter
- Published in the Courier : 04.09.10
- Published online : 06.09.10 @ 01.01pm
Dundee councillor Fraser Macpherson, who campaigned for more openness regarding the transportation of drugs on what hospital staff have dubbed the "happy bus" after the practice was revealed by The Courier, was told the news.
Previously records had been destroyed after only a week.
Earlier this year, a nurse claimed that morphine and other controlled drugs were being transported on the Stagecoach hospital bus link that ferries staff and members of the public between Perth Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital in Dundee.
At that time the health authority denied the claims and insisted only "routine drugs," which were not further identified, were transported in a locked box on the bus. The health authority was satisfied with the security of the drugs.
Staff said the drugs being transported were of the type that would be "attractive to junkies."
Later, NHS Tayside's chief executive Professor Tony Wells admitted that on one occasion controlled drugs had been transported "in error."
The health authority rebuffed an inquiry under freedom of information legislation, seeking to find out what drugs were carried and when. NHS Tayside said records were destroyed after seven days.
Councillor Macpherson took up the issue and, after being dissatisfied with the responses from NHS Tayside, he had a face to face meeting recently with Prof Wells and the health authority's chairman Sandy Watson.
The decision to transport the drugs had not been discussed through the health board's committee structure and Mr Macpherson was concerned the democratic process had been bypassed.
The chairman has now written to the councillor confirming that records will now be retained for six months and the processes will be reported to NHS Tayside's Improvement and Quality Committee.
Mr Macpherson welcomed the news at the weekend, saying it would allow scrutiny of what drugs were being carried on the bus.
"There was a requirement in my view, and in a lot of other people's view, they should have the issue properly discussed through their democratic processes and they have now agreed to that," said Mr Macpherson.
"In terms of openness and transparency, I feel they should be holding on to records for a lot longer than seven days then, if you put in a Freedom of Information request, you get a meaningful reply rather than just ‘We don't hold the records.'
"Now the processes will have to go through this committee of the health board and that way it should be crystal clear as to what the procedures are and, crucially, they are going to hold on to the records so the public can be satisfied of exactly what is being transported."
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