More than 260,000 diabetes inpatients had hospital medication errors in 2017

Diabetes UK is making in patient diabetic care a campaigning focus fyi!

JohnEGreen said:

More than a quarter of a million diabetes inpatients experienced a medication error

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I wonder how you go about collecting the data required to come to that conclusion. I don't suppose there were a quarter of a million complaints. That also assumes people are aware of mistakes being made. Maybe the figure should be higher?
On the good side, my dad had tremendous care during his seven week stay in hospital.

DavidGrahamJones said:

. . . . . . my dad had tremendous care during his seven week stay in hospital.

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From Diabetes UK "As a result, one in five patients will have a hypoglycaemic episode".

Although my father did not have a hypo, his BG kept going low and for one very good reason. He was quite rightly (my opinion) stopped from eating chocolates and biscuits and he had to have his insulin dose reduced twice. Maybe those with poorly controlled BG like my father achieved much better control in hospital, but didn't have their insulin dose changed quick enough.

When my father was in hospital he was given a powerful heart stimulant intended for the man in the next bed - whilst - presumably the man with heart failure got my dad's medication - despite it being queried at the time.
The man in the next bed diet that night, whilst my dad was left red faced, all his veins protruding and his heart pounding.
Wrong medication is not restricted to diabetics.

Having just come out of hospital I suspect that the reason for the hypoglycaemia may well be that, in my case anyway, I had no appetite for two reasons, the first because I was ill, the second because of the food. The net result of that would have been, in my case, even further reduction in carb intake because of fasting or increased carb intake because of the food choices offered. I mainly control by diet and found, once I was interested, that my BG varied between 5 and 13 in a day, way out of normal for me, and apparently 20+ just after surgery. As no hypo. inducing medication was involved the risks were small.

I can well see that to continue the normal dose of, say gliclazide or similar or use the same basal/bolus doses could easily cause hypos. As far as I could tell no one had heard of counting carbohydrates in hospital food so how they would vary insulin I have no idea.

A T1 parent of a friend is currently in hospital. Tell patient's insulin has been taken away, it is administered by nurses at various times, often after food, and at least two hypos below 2 have occurred. Family have complained - no reaction.

Diakat said:

Family have complained - no reaction.

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I can recommend P.A.L.S.

Patients should always refuse to have their insulin or tablets taken away unless they have dementure etc. I always keep mine and do my own insulin. I've never had an objection and allow staff to test my BS whenever they want. Also always, and I mean always, refuse to be put on Sliding-scale insulin management. Many nurses may use this without knowing what they're doing or be too busy to spot a problem like the glucose running out. I've seen posts where someone has gone into a severe hypo thru this and there is no need normally for the technique to be used.

I've recently had a few hospital admissions and have been refused insulin with bloods of 30 and told wait an hour??? I was given the incorrect insulin and when I pointed this out was told "Well it's all the same" and refused the correct dose. I explained to a "Doctor" my ratios and how much insulin I would require based on blood sugars and carbs eaten and was offered 2 units (I needed 7) I was refused the choice to self manage as apparently the forms don't have an option for this (Yet I've self managed in the past) and was told if I don't like it then to discharge my self (I did) This isn't an attack on the NHS as they have fantastic things for me but diabetes management during stays needs to be improved!

Best to take some zero carb food; such as packets of Cheddar Cheese slices and some tins of Corned Beef on going in to Hospital.

I am wondering if they did an Internal Audit and found cases where they should have given medicine when they didn't and vice-versa and it came to that number, it's a lot of patients to be making errors with, and that's only diabetics

JohnEGreen said:

"More than a quarter of a million diabetes inpatients experienced a medication error at hospital last year, putting them at risk of serious harm or death, research by a leading charity has found."

A bit worrying. Understatement I know.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/08/diabetes-inpatients-hospital-medication-errors

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These errors have been going on for years. Back in 1975 I was almost given an insulin overdose meant for another patient who was showing high glucose levels. I refused it because I knew my levels were fine, even though in those days you were only able to do urine tests. The Consultant was less than happy when he realised the nurse had mixed me up with another diabetic patient on the ward.

Five years ago I was let out days early after open heart surgery after the Diabetic Consultant found out the nurses didn't know how to treat Type 1 diabetes, as they had taken my insulin off me and refused to give me my basal in the evening after I had gone low earlier. I was told by the ward sister that I was having no more insulin that night. She was annoyed the next morning when I showed a blood reading of 22 and called in the Diabetic Specialist. When I explained that my insulin had been withheld she stated that they couldn't do that. I told her she needed to tell the nursing staff that not me. The heart specialist agreed "it was best if I go home and sort my own diabetes out".

When mentioning this to my local hospital diabetic consultant at my next appointment, he simply laughed and said "Why am I not surprised". According to my local GP Practice Nurse, nursing staff are given half a day's training on diabetic care for both Type 1 and 2, which she agrees is ridiculous.

Patients unexpectedly becoming an inpatient can have strained nursing services to deal with every shift to get their meds administered, hence its advisable to carry your meds around with you if you're feeling unwell.
Ambulance crew and 111 referrals will ask you to bring meds to hospital/doctors.
Many nurses haven't heard of some of the new meds/insulins.
Gone are the days where many patients aren't on long term meds which are needed regularly.
That is why metformin for example should be made into an implant and other meds which are needed lifelong.
The nhs nurses are over worked and more so with all our meds/treatments.

I try and ensure I'm self-suffient unless staff insist.
OK if unconscious or seriously unable to manage my meds then staff are hugely needed to help. Mr ickihun is OK at reminding me but not on which ones to take/monitor.

Being an inpatient these days is far far different to years ago.

My father was given insulin then sent for a scan and was given no lunch. Fortunately my mother and friends went in to visit and found he was completely out of it. My mother and her friends persuaded the nurses that this was not usual and they checked his blood sugar which was down in his boots . He remained in hospital until he died shortly after from gangrene from bed sores: 7 years later it still upsets me . We did not complain as this was the only hospital for miles and we were worried they would take it out on my mother when she needed the service. I think that people who live in urban areas who have lots of hospitals may be more inclined to complain than those who have a Hobson’s choice about hospitals they use.
I am not sure what the solution to this type of situation, without people complainting how do they learn ?