News from our partners: Trust takes part in national Insulin Safety Week
News from our partners Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH)
The Trust that runs Shropshire’s two acute hospitals is promoting the message of insulin safety awareness as part of Insulin Safety Week, a national campaign which kicks off today (Monday 20 May 2019).
Insulin Safety Week 2019
In the UK, two in five people with diabetes on insulin experience an error related to the administration of the drug while in hospital, according to the results from the latest National Diabetes Inpatient Audit. These errors can have a detrimental effect on patients.
To reduce incidents of insulin errors, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford (PRH) is observing Insulin Safety Week and staging its own awareness campaign.
Erica Richardson, SaTH’s Lead Diabetes Nurse, said:
“Patients can understandably get very anxious when they aren’t able to self-manage their diabetes in hospital. Errors in the administration of insulin can have a serious impact so it’s vital that we work towards getting it right 100% of the time.
“By giving our hospital staff access to training and sharing good practice, we can provide the knowledge and skills required to keep our diabetic patients safe and receiving their medication when they need it.”
Kate Ballinger, a Type 1 Diabetes patient from Telford, said:
“It is great that the Trust is recognising Insulin Safety Week and working towards reducing insulin errors for its patients.
“We manage our diabetes 24/7, and handing over control to professionals can be a really stressful time. Hopefully by raising awareness amongst staff, people with insulin dependent diabetes will have a better experience if they are admitted to hospital.”
Today, SaTH’s Diabetes Team is running information stands from 1pm at both PRH and RSH where staff, patients and members of the public can learn more about the work done across the Trust to improve insulin safety, play a game and take part in a quiz to win prizes.
The team will also be visiting all wards across the Trust to deliver the latest information and guidance on insulin safety and inviting staff to take part in additional insulin awareness training.
