Drugs: Overdoses

(asked on 4th February 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the next of kin of people who have had a medical overdose are informed prior to discharge from NHS facilities.


Answered by
Alistair Burt Portrait
Alistair Burt
This question was answered on 9th February 2016

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline [CG133] regarding the longer-term management of self-harm in over eight’s sets out that care plans – including risk management and crisis plans – should be multidisciplinary and developed collaboratively with the person who self-harms and, provided the person agrees, with their family, carers or significant others. Care plans should also be shared with an individual’s general practitioner.

It is for National Health Service organisations to design services to meet the needs of their local populations.

NICE has produced a Clinical Knowledge Summary on the management of poisoning or overdose which is available at:

http://cks.nice.org.uk/poisoning-or-overdose#!scenario

This states that the person, if self-harm is found to be a factor, should have a psychiatric assessment by a trained professional.

The Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy also has details of what should be done if an overdose is suspected to be intentional. The Strategy acknowledges that emergency departments and primary care have important roles in the care of people who self-harm, with a focus on good communication and follow-up.

In January, the Prime Minister announced £247 million to be used to develop further the provision of liaison psychiatry services in Emergency Departments in England. These services will ensure that people attending Emergency Departments who have mental ill health are assessed quickly and receive the most appropriate treatment.

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