NHS Diabetes has launched a new online training course for health professionals on the safer use of insulin which is available free of charge on the NHS Diabetes website.
The course is launched today to coincide with a Rapid Response Report by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) on the safer administration of insulin. The report is being issued in response to a number of safety incidents related to the use of insulin. The NPSA report requires all health professionals who care for people with diabetes to undertake training on safer use of insulin such as the NHS Diabetes online training course.
The online training course is aimed at all health professionals who treat patients with diabetes and who may have to administer insulin. It has been designed so that it easy to complete and should take no more than an hour and half to do. The course includes training on –
· The right type of insulin to use
· The right doses of insulin to give
· The right time to administer insulin
· The right way to administer insulin
Anna Morton, Director of NHS Diabetes, says: “Diabetes is a growing problem and it is really important that all health professionals who care for people with diabetes are aware of how to use insulin safely. One third of hospital patients receiving insulin have an error on their drugs chart and many of these relate to insulin. One in four people with diabetes has a hypoglycaemic episode whilst in hospital. Also one in thirty has a severe hypo needing glucagon or intravenous glucose. Ensuring insulin is used correctly should help reduce the numbers of such incidences and good education is crucial to achieving this.”
Anna continues: “NHS Diabetes is pleased to support today’s guidance from the NPSA and we are delighted to be able to offer this online training course for health professionals to complement it. Our Safe Use of Insulin website also includes a vast amount of practical information and a number of true stories illustrating the dangers when insulin is used incorrectly.”
For more information or to access the safe use of insulin online training package please visit the NHS Diabetes website: www.diabetes.nhs.uk/safe_use_of_insulin
For more information about the NPSA report, visit www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/alerts
Note to Editors
- For more information contact NHS Diabetes Communications Manager Oliver Jelley on 07766 990848 or oliver.jelley@diabetes.nhs.uk.
- Diabetes has an enormous impact on the population of the United Kingdom: 2.6 million people have a diagnosis of diabetes, including over 22,000 children under the age of seventeen in England. Up to 500,000 people have the condition but are unaware of it. The number of people with diabetes in the UK is predicted to grow to four million by 2025 with a doubling of the number of children diagnosed under five years of age.
- NHS Diabetes works to raise the quality of diabetes care in England by supporting and working with the healthcare community and people with diabetes. In partnership with people with diabetes, we help develop and support new guidelines, standards and systems designed to improve care for people, and then encourage the widespread implementation of these new initiatives.
- The Rapid Response Report, produced by the National Patient Safety Agency and NHS organisations across England and Wales, follows 3,881 patient safety incidents reported between 2003 and 2009. These include one death and one case of severe harm that occurred after clinicians misinterpreted the abbreviation of the term ‘unit’. A further three deaths and 17 other incidents occurred between January 2005 and July 2009 where an intravenous syringe was used to measure and administer insulin. The RRR calls on NHS organisations to ensure:Ø All regular and single insulin (bolus) doses are measured and administered using an insulin syringe or commercial insulin pen device (never using intravenous syringes); Ø The term ‘units’ is used in all contexts and that abbreviations, such as ‘U’ or ‘IU’ are never used;Ø A training programme should be put in place for all healthcare staff that are expected to prescribe, prepare and administer insulin.
