PAs and prescribing / ionising radiation
Dear Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust,
This request will only be relevant if your trust hires/has hired physician associates (PAs).
1) In several physician associates (PAs) have erroniously prescribed medications to patients. If this has happened at your trust, please provide the following information:
a) The earliest and latest date a prescription was made by a physician associate?
b) The total number of physician associates who have made unauthorised prescriptions?
c) The total number of prescriptions made by PAs that have been acted on, i.e. patients given medication?
d) The total number of prescription requests made by PAs that were not acted on, i.e. patients not given medications?
e) Please list all controlled medications and cytotoxic drugs prescribed by physician associates, and the total number of occasions on which they were prescribed?
f) Please give the number of patients who came to harm as a result of PAs making any unauthorised prescriptions?
g) Please explain how it was possible for PAs to prescribe medication at your trust (e.g. PAs accidentally given prescribing functionality)?
h) What steps have you taken to rectify this issue, including any penalties for the physician associates involbed?
2) Several trusts have reported situations in which their physician associates (PAs) have erroniously ordered ionising radiation. If this has happened at your trust, please provide the following information:
a) Total number of incidents in which PAs made requests for ionising radiation?
b) Total number of incidents in which PAs made requests for ionising radiation, and these requests were acted on (i.e. the patient received the scan with ionising radiation as requested by the PA)?
Yours faithfully,
Frances Marshall
Thank you for contacting the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust Freedom of
Information team. Your request will be processed within 20 working days in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
If your request is for patient records please email [email address]
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For patient related queries, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison
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Dear Frances
Thank you for your Freedom of Information enquiry, our reference FOI/2024/2192.
We will respond by 28th March 2024.
Kind regards
Jeanette
Jeanette Pearce
Administration Information Governance
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Howard Court | 14 Tewin Road| Welwyn Garden City | AL7 1BW
Work mobile: 07392 317652 E-mail: [Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust request email]
Working Pattern: (Tues, Wed, Thurs 8.30am – 2.30pm)
Dear Frances
Thank you for your Freedom of Information enquiry, our reference
FOI/2024/2192.
The Trust’s response is as follows:
We can confirm we do not have any Physician Associates employed at the
trust.
Please note that the information provided remains the property of
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and is therefore subject to Intellectual
Property and Database Rights. In view of the Re-use of Public Sector
Information Regulations, should you wish to re-use this information for
commercial reasons, you are advised to obtain permission from us.
Agreement to use the information for commercial reasons may incur a fee as
the information is issued under licence. If you have any questions about
the process, please do not hesitate to contact the Information Governance
team in the first instance.
If you require further information please contact the Information
Governance team.
If you are dissatisfied with this response or wish to appeal, please write
to:
Associate Director of Integrated Business Services
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Unit 1A Howard Court
14 Tewin Road
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL7 1BW
If you still remain dissatisfied with our response, you may appeal to the
Information Commissioner whose contact details are available together with
further information about the Freedom of Information process at
[1]www.ico.org.uk
Kind regards,
Martin Vitty MSc MBCS
Head of Information Governance & Data Protection Officer
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Howard Court
14 Tewin Road
Welwyn Garden City
AL7 1BW
Tel: 01707 364349
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