Press release: NHS Confederation responds to Healthcare Commission's plea for hospitals to improve management of medicine

11 Aug 2006

Maria Nyberg, Policy Manager at the NHS Confederation which represents more than 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said:

"It is encouraging to see that the majority of NHS trusts are doing well and getting the basics right with regards to the management of medicines. However, the results from the Healthcare Commission clearly show us that there is room for improvement.

"The publication of these results is a positive step forward for NHS assessment because identifying weaknesses or problems in areas of patient safety, whether that be medicines management or other aspects of care, allows them to be tackled and dealt with.

"The only way the service will achieve real improvements for patients is by being frank about the problems and challenges that it faces.  The more meaningful information provided to patients and the public about the performance of their local hospital and health services the better because in a world of increased choice for patients this can only be a good thing."

ENDS

Notes for editors

The NHS Confederation represents more than 90% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

Contact Media Relations Manager Joanna Clason on 020 7074 3306 or 07798 571078 or Senior Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.

Back to media centre