Unlock the value of timely medication: Parkinson's UK time critical medication dashboard
This tool allows health professionals, NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, and Health Boards to estimate the benefits of improving time critical medication management for people with Parkinson's in hospitals.
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When people with Parkinson’s don’t get their medication on time (within 30 minutes of the patient’s prescribed time), it can leave them unable to move, get out of bed, swallow, walk or talk. In the most severe cases, this can lead to Parkinsonism hyperpyrexia syndrome, which can be fatal.
The 2022 UK Parkinson's Audit revealed over half of people with Parkinson's admitted to hospital faced challenges receiving their medication on time.
To help support the NHS in addressing this issue, Parkinson's UK commissioned The Public Service Consultants (The PSC) to develop this data dashboard to estimate the benefits of improving time critical medication management for people with Parkinson's in hospitals.
What does the time critical medication dashboard do?
The time critical medication dashboard estimates the direct cost for hospitals and the impact on patient outcomes of time critical Parkinson’s medication delays and omissions at national, Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Trust and health board levels across England, Scotland, and Wales. The model considers key impacts such as length of stay, staff time, mortality, readmissions, and the associated costs.
The dashboard helps organisations evaluate different approaches (such as self-administration, staff training, or e-prescribing) to improve the timely administration of time critical medications by modelling the cost savings gained from implementation.
In addition to people with Parkinson’s, medication is time critical for several conditions, including people with diabetes, epilepsy and HIV. As an indicative multiplier, The PSC estimates that the overall costs could be seven to eight times higher when people with other health conditions who rely on time critical medication are factored in.
Using the dashboard
Explore the dashboard and its supporting documentation to learn how your organisation can make a difference.
For help with using the dashboard, watch our dashboard demonstration videos.
For further information or support, please contact campaigns@parkinsons.org.uk.
Improving management of time critical medication in your hospital
We offer a range of resources to help you explore and adapt these strategies to your local context.
Our 'Every Minute Counts' policy report recommends:
- Self-administration of medication in hospital where appropriate.
- Using e-prescribing systems for monitoring, reporting, and alerts.
- Implementing training for hospital ward staff.
For further guidance, see our 'Time critical medication: 10 recommendations for your hospital' report, developed by NHS health professionals living with Parkinson's.
Discover additional tools, resources and learning on our time critical medication resources page.
NHS England has committed to a three-year national safety improvement programme focused on time-critical medication. This is a clear indication of the importance of the scale of the issue and its impact on the NHS.
Barrie's story
"Had they just stuck to the plan... everything would have been fine."
In this film, Barrie shares his experience of undergoing surgery without his Parkinson's medication.
Film length: 5 minutes and 54 seconds.
Content warning: Some people may find Barrie's story upsetting.