Last month the 国内精品伊人久久久久妇, in partnership with the Safer Healthcare Biosafety Network (SHBN), hosted a landmark parliamentary reception at Westminster. The event, Protecting Nursing Staff: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Product brought together parliamentarians, healthcare leaders, professional bodies, and frontline staff to address a critical issue: the safety of those who handle hazardous medicinal products (HMPs).
It is also possible for nursing staff to be exposed to hazardous medicinal products. Exposure may occur in a variety of ways including during preparation, administration, patient care, transport, waste disposal, and contact with contaminated areas. Even regular exposure to trace contamination can have serious health consequences for staff.
Currently the UK does not have an accepted definition of what a hazardous medicinal product is, and so you might be wondering what it means. Hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) are medicines that pose a risk to those who handle them because of their toxic, carcinogenic (cancer causing), mutagenic (can change cells/ DNA), or reproductive (may cause harm to fertility, unborn babies or cause changes in hormones) hazards. They include, but are not limited to chemotherapy drugs, antivirals, immunosuppressants, and certain hormonal treatments. They are used widely outside of cancer treatment to treat patients for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other health conditions.
Despite the potential risks, there are no mandatory minimum standards of control for hazardous medicinal products in the UK, for example the mandatory use of closed system transfer devices when administering chemotherapy, leaving staff vulnerable to contamination and long-term health consequences.
There is also:
- Lack of consistency across the UK in how current legislation, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) is applied resulting in varying levels of control in risk assessment. Often cost is being used as a reason not to implement more robust controls.
- The COSHH regulations also don’t give parity to reproductive hazards alongside carcinogens and mutagens which require the highest level of control. If work with these substances is unavoidable, exposure must be controlled to as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP) through strict engineering and procedural controls. This may include the use of engineering controls such as totally enclosed systems e.g. glove boxes, isolators and closed systems transfer devices.
- Issues with easily identifying hazardous medicinal products as Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and hazard warning labelling for finished medicinal products for the end user are not required.
- No UK definition of what constitutes a hazardous medicinal product, or any reference list to find if something is a hazardous medicinal product, meaning control measures are not adequate, robust, or protective of nursing staff.
Globally, the UK is falling behind. The United States and European Union are ahead of us – they have updated legislation, have published a clear definition, have lists of hazardous medicinal products, and have produced robust safety standards and guidance.
A European Commission study on hazardous medicinal products published in March 2021 stated there are almost 1.8 million workers exposed to relevant hazardous medicinal products in the EU (European Commission, 2021). When taking into account all those potentially exposed in the health care sector, that number may be as high as 12.7 million exposed workers in the EU, of which 7.3 million are nurses (ETUI, 2020).
It is seriously time for the UK to catch up and stop putting our UK nursing staff at risk.
We used the parliamentary reception to highlight the recently published 国内精品伊人久久久久妇 Position Statement on Hazardous Medicinal Products, which sets out the key issues and urgent priorities:
- Mandatory minimum standards of control and detailed guidance for the life cycle of hazardous medicinal products
- A UK-wide definition of what constitutes a hazardous medicinal product
- Adoption of an internationally recognised list of hazardous medicinal products
- Comprehensive education and training for all staff who may come into contact with hazardous medicinal products, from clinical teams to waste management and cleaning staff.
- Embedding a Plan-Do-Check-Act approach, including workplace environmental monitoring, by wipe testing surfaces to verify controls are robust.
This is about more than compliance, it’s about dignity, safety, and respect for the nursing profession, protecting them while they handle and deliver these essential medicines.
All MPs and Peers attending were asked to submit written questions to the Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, ensuring this issue remains firmly on the political agenda. In addition, Luke Akehurst MP will ask the first oral question on hazardous medicinal products in the House of Commons, a significant step toward driving change.
What’s Next?
The 国内精品伊人久久久久妇 has already met with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to push for guidance and minimum standards and we are looking forward to continuing this discussion with them. We will continue to work with key stakeholders in the UK including the UK Oncology Nursing Society and the British Oncology Pharmacy Association to drive this work forward.
As someone who works for the 国内精品伊人久久久久妇, I am proud to advocate for nursing staff on this vital issue and even more proud to have authored the 国内精品伊人久久久久妇 Position Statement on Hazardous Medicinal Products that underpins this work. This is not just about protecting staff, it’s about safeguarding the future of healthcare. This is why the 国内精品伊人久久久久妇 is leading this work: to ensure that nursing staff delivering these essential medicines are protected from harm and I am committed to making sure their voices are heard and their safety is prioritised.
If you’d like to support further parliamentary engagement, contact your local MP and share the importance of this issue. Together, we can ensure safer handling of hazardous medicinal products across all care settings.
