Freedom of Information request 312-2023

This is a request for information being made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It relates to a National Patient Safety Alert ’NatPSA’. issued by the Department of Health & Social Care on 27/09/2023: ‘Shortage of methylphenidate prolonged-release capsules and tablets, lisdexamfetamine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets.’ reference no: NatPSA/2023/011/DHSC.. According to the Central Alerting System website, this alert was issued to Mental Health Trusts see: https://www.cas.mhra.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAlert.aspx?AlertIDequals103238.. The alert states that required actions should be completed by 11/10/2023. The alert states that ‘prescribers should: not initiate new patients on products affected by this shortage until the supply issues resolve’. The alert states that ‘healthcare professionals in primary care and secondary care if appropriate. should: identify all patients currently prescribed these products; and make early contact with patients to establish how much supply they have remaining.’ The alert states that ‘where patients have insufficient supplies to last until the re-supply date, contact: patient’s specialist team for advice on management options if the product cannot be sourced.' The alert states that 'specialist teams should: support primary care teams seeking advice for patients currently prescribed the affected products; provide individualised management plans, where required; and recommend alternatives in line with NICE guidance, where appropriate.' Please provide the following information: 1. Did your Trust receive the above NatPSA? If so, on what date was it received? 2. Assuming that the answer to the first part of question 1 is yes, was the NatPSA forwarded to relevant specialist teams within your Trust? Which specialist teams was the NatPSA forwarded to? 3. The NatPSA states that ‘prescribers should not initiate new patients on products affected by this shortage until the supply issues resolve.’ Have any new patients under your care who would ordinarily have been prescribed the affected products not been given prescriptions because of this required action? If so, how many? 4. Where appropriate did specialist teams within your Trust 'identify all patients currently prescribed these products’, as required by the NatPSA? If so, how many patients were identified and by what date was this action carried out? 5. Where appropriate did specialist teams within your Trust ‘make early contact with patients to establish how much supply they have remaining’, as required by the NatPSA? If so, how many patients did you attempt to contact? How many patients were successfully contacted? 6. Assuming that the answer to the first part of question 5 is ‘yes’, and that some patients were successfully contacted, how many patients were identified as having insufficient supplies to last until the re-supply date? 7. The NatPSA states that healthcare professionals should ‘contact patient’s specialist team[s] for advice on management options’. Have any specialist teams within your Trust been contacted by other healthcare professionals seeking such advice? If so, what advice were specialist teams able to provide? 8. Have specialist teams within your Trust ‘[supported] primary care teams seeking advice for patients currently prescribed the affected products’, as required by the NatPSA? If so, how? 9. Have specialist teams within your Trust provided individualised management plans, either to primary care teams or directly to patients? If so, how many? 10. Have specialist teams within your Trust recommended alternative products in line with NICE guidance, where appropriate? If so, how many such recommendations have been made? 11. What policy, if any, exists within your Trust for ensuring compliance with National Patient Safety Alerts? If such a policy exists, please provide a copy of it.