Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes.
Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'.
'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote.
The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service.
Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector.
'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused.
'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.'
The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes.
More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages.
Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics.
One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate.
The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.'
Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure.
'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.'
The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients.
People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said.
It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages.
Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients.
One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'.
Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients.
'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already.
'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety.
'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.'
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients.
'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet.
'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
43 minutes ago
- Metro
Peter Andre's wife Emily reveals she suffered rare complication while giving birth
Dr Emily Andre has opened up for the first time about the terrifying ordeal she faced after giving birth to her youngest daughter, Arabella. The NHS doctor, 35, who shares three children with husband Peter Andre -Millie, 11, Theo, eight, and 15-month-old Arabella- became visibly emotional as she recalled the experience during an appearance on Happy Mum Happy Baby, the podcast hosted by Giovanna Fletcher. Emily, who is also stepmother to Peter's older children Junior, 19, and Princess, 18, from his marriage to Katie Price, said the traumatic experience has 'cemented' their decision not to have any more children. 'I haven't really spoken about her birth and what happened afterwards because it was so hard and awful,' she said. 'It was tough. I was really unwell after she was born, there was quite a lot of complications.' Just a week after Arabella's birth, Emily was rushed back into hospital for emergency surgery, after developing a rare and potentially life-threatening type of hernia. 'Basically part of my bowels were kind of in the wrong place,' she explained. 'It was quite large, and the type of hernia it was can strangulate quite easily, which makes it an emergency.' 'All the consultants I've seen have said, 'We've never seen this in our whole career,' and then I think, 'For God's sake, why did it have to happen to me?'' Emily said she knew something wasn't right almost immediately after giving birth. 'I had a big, huge lump in my tummy sticking right out,' she said. A week later, a surgeon confirmed the seriousness of the situation. 'He looked and said, 'You need to come into hospital now.'' Shocked, she pleaded to go home to prepare and express milk, saying the thought of being separated from newborn Arabella was unbearable. 'I was breastfeeding, so I thought, 'My God, how am I going to feed her if I'm on the operating table?'' Despite being in severe pain, Emily said the worst part was handing Arabella over to her mum before surgery. 'I was a right mess, it was really hard.' In a bittersweet twist, she recalled one moment that brought a smile during the chaos: Learning that she was in the same operating theatre where Peter once had surgery performed by her father, a urologist. The couple met through Emily's father. 'The porter said, 'You know, I brought Pete here into this theatre. This was exactly where he lay and this is the room where he met your dad.' It was just such a nice moment and it took my mind off everything.' The recovery was slow and painful, involving extensive stitching and internal repairs. Emily spent several days in hospital but was thankful to recover on a midwife ward, which allowed Arabella to stay with her. 'That was all I was thinking about – 'Don't take my baby away from me.' I do find it really hard [to be away from her]. I've got quite good at the daytime, but there's something about the night and putting her to bed…' More Trending Now, more than a year on, Emily says she feels 'pretty much back to health' and praised Peter, her parents, and the medical staff who supported her through the ordeal. But she said she hasn't made a complete emotional recovery. She hasn't spent a night apart from Arabella since the surgery and says the experience has made it crystal clear that their family is complete. 'It's a definite no from me, we're not having any more. It's absolutely cemented now,' she said. 'We always said it would be the last anyway. Five's enough – we don't have any more bedrooms in the house for starters!' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Katie Price slams 'pathetic' ex Peter Andre after being banned from daughter's birthday
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Neil Gray blasted for 'disgusting spin' on worst cancer wait times ever recorded
Neil Gray has been accused of a 'grotesque' attempt to 'spin' the worst ever cancer waiting times by hiding behind a statistic now exposed as another record failure. The SNP health secretary was urged to apologise yesterday after his 'crass' and 'desperate' bid to distract the public was revealed by the Lib Dems. The row blew up as Mr Gray faced further criticism over the Government's apparent inability to get a grip on waiting times in A&E. Public Health Scotland reported almost a third of patients waiting too long to be seen in casualty units last week barely changed from the week before. Mr Gray came under intense criticism last month when it emerged Scotland's NHS recorded its worst cancer waiting times in the first three months of 2025. Since 2016, the target has been for 95 per cent of patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer to start treatment within 62 days. But between January and March a record low of just 68.9 per cent were treated on time, down from 73.5 per cent the previous quarter. Mr Gray chose to lead a healthcare trade mission to Japan when the data was published, leading to claims he was 'missing in action' on a 'junket'. But he did issue a statement drawing attention to a different cancer statistic - which has now caused a second outcry. 'The median wait for urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 52 days, demonstrating the extensive work by staff across Scotland to treat people as quickly and effectively as possible,' he said. But official data has revealed this was a record high, up from 49 days the previous quarter, and from 41 days when records began in 2016. The median is the central point in a set of numbers. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'The SNP are fast running out of excuses. 'It is grotesque and dangerously misleading for the Health Secretary to suggest that the average wait of 52 days shows progress, when that too is the worst on record. 'This kind of desperate and irresponsible political spin does nothing to bring down waits. The Health Secretary ought to apologise to patients.' Tory public health spokesman Brian Whittle said: 'It is appalling that Neil Gray doubled down on trying to paint the worst cancer waiting times on record in a better light. 'His attempts to distract from the SNP's record-breaking failure is crass and deeply insulting to suffering patients. He should be focused on saving lives, not saving face. 'Under the SNP, cancer care is in crisis and no amount of PR can mask their shocking neglect of Scotland's health service.' But in response, Mr Gray refused to apologise and effectively repeated his original spin. He said: 'We want to improve cancer waiting times and we know some people are waiting too long. 'The median wait from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 52 days, and once a decision has been taken to treat somebody, the median wait for that treatment to begin is three days. This demonstrates the extensive work by staff across Scotland to treat people as quickly and effectively as possible.' New data yesterday also showed A&E waits improved in the week to June 29, with 67.6 per cent of patients seen within the four-hour target, up from 67.3 per cent the previous week. Waits of over eight and 12 hours also fell by around 0.5 per centage points. But the marginal gains were only achieved after patient numbers slumped 9.3 per cent. Mr Gray said the numbers were 'moving in the right direction'. Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the health secretary was 'burying his head in the sand'. Scottish Labour deputy Dame Jackie Baillie added: 'The reality is that John Swinney and the SNP have no meaningful plan, no strategy, and no ideas to save our NHS.'
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
NHS disruption expected as resident doctors vote for strike action
The NHS could face six months of disruption after resident doctors in England voted in favour of strike action. Downing Street said pay negotiations will not be reopened because the Government 'can't be more generous' than it has been already this year. The ballot gives resident doctors a mandate for strike action until January 2026. Some 90% of voting resident doctors in England, formerly known as junior doctors, said they would down their stethoscopes and take to picket lines amid an ongoing row over pay. The British Medical Association (BMA) said there was a turnout of 55%. The union has said resident doctors need a pay uplift of 29.2% to reverse 'pay erosion' since 2008/09. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it was 'disappointing' that medics were threatening strike action, saying that the 'majority of resident doctors did not vote to strike'. BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said in a statement: 'All we need is a credible pay offer and nobody need strike. 'Doctors don't take industrial action lightly – but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away. 'The next move is the Government's. 'Will it repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Or will it do the right thing and negotiate a path to full pay restoration and the restoration of doctors' confidence in our profession's future?' Mr Streeting said: 'While the majority of resident doctors did not vote to strike, it is disappointing that the BMA are threatening strike action that would harm patients and set back all the progress we're making with the NHS. 'Thanks to this Government, resident doctors have received a 28.9% pay rise compared to three years ago, and the highest pay award of the entire public sector this year. 'I met with the BMA today, and while we can't go further on pay than we already have this year, I offered to work with them to resolve issues they face around working conditions. These are not grounds for strike action. My offer to meet their entire committee remains open.' A Number 10 spokesman said: 'We aren't going to reopen negotiations on pay. 'Resident doctors have received the highest pay award across the public sector for two years in a row, and we've been clear that we can't be more generous than we already have this year.' A fresh bout of walkouts could cause severe upheaval across the health service. Previous strikes by resident doctors and other staff groups saw some 1.5 million appointments, procedures and operations postponed as a result. The news will come as a blow to the Government after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's 'plan for change' pledged that by July 2029, 92% of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements. The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England is currently at its lowest level for two years, according to the latest figures, with an estimated 7.39 million treatments waiting to be carried out at the end of April. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said: 'Further strikes are the last thing health leaders wanted and could result in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of operations and procedures being delayed or cancelled, leaving patients in pain or discomfort.' Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'A return to industrial action would be a huge setback – bad for patients, for staff and for the NHS.' In September, BMA members voted to accept a Government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years. And the 2025/26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4% uplift plus £750 'on a consolidated basis' – working out as an average pay rise of 5.4%. The BMA call for a 29.2% uplift is based on Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, the measure of average changes in the price of goods and services used by most households. Edward Argar, shadow health secretary, said: 'We warned Labour that caving in to union demands for above-inflation pay rises without conditions would set a dangerous precedent and that the unions would simply come back for more. 'That warning has sadly become true with today's strike vote. 'We are now staring down the barrel of a summer of strikes.' There are around 77,000 resident doctors in England who work in various settings from GP surgeries to hospitals. Resident doctor is a catch-all term for all doctors in training, ranging from graduates to medics with a decade of experience.
