The National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) is the Department of Health approved, and Health Protection Agency (HPA) commissioned, National service that provides expert advice on all aspects of acute and chronic poisoning.

The Service comprises four individual Units, based in Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Newcastle. Each Unit is staffed by Consultant Clinical Toxicologists and Specialists in Poisons Information who work together to provide a seamless National service that has been established for more than 40 years. This website is maintained by the NPIS (Birmingham Unit) and provides information on the Unit and the associated West Midlands Poisons Unit as well as more general information about the NPIS.

In line with Department of Health policy the NPIS promotes, supports and develops best practice for the management of cases of poisoning in NHS facilities.

The National Poisons Information Service does not accept enquiries from the public. 

TOXBASE (www.toxbase.org)

Hospitals, general practitioners and other health care workers in the UK have direct access to TOXBASE, the clinical toxicology database which is specifically designed for  healthcare professionals. TOXBASE is co-ordinated by the NPIS (Edinburgh Unit), with input from all four NPIS Units. 

Doctors should consult TOXBASE before telephoning for more expert and specific advice. 

Telephone information service (0844 892 0111)

The NPIS also offers a National 24 hour telephone information line which provides clinical staff with case specific advice on more complex cases. This service is manned by Specialists in Poisons Information who are science graduates and who have received additional training in clinical toxicology. They are supported by a National on-call rota of NPIS Consultant Clinical Toxicologists who collectively have personal experience of managing in excess of 6,000 cases of poisoning per annum, and therefore have extensive clinical experience on which to draw when answering enquiries on severe cases of poisoning.

Written enquiries

More complex non-urgent enquiries relating for example to occupational and environmental exposures should be forwarded to the Director of the appropriate NPIS Unit.

Current Awareness in Clinical Toxicology

Current Awareness in Clinical Toxicology is produced by the NPIS (Birmingham Unit) with the assistance of the other Units and is distributed electronically or in hard copy. It has been published monthly since 1997. Although Current Awareness is published primarily as a service for the UK NPIS, it is also circulated by the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicology and the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology to their members worldwide.

NPIS Product Data Centre

The NPIS (Birmingham Unit) has responsibility for the NPIS Product Data Centre  which provides product data to all NPIS Units. The Birmingham Unit proactively contacts manufacturers to ensure that product data are comprehensive and up-to-date. In 2007/8, some 8,500 material safety data sheets (MSDS) were added to the NPIS Product Data Centre; currently the NPIS Product Data Centre holds some 50,000 MSDS, which are accessible by other Units on a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week basis. The database can be accessed by product name, manufacturer, date of MSDS, and the date the MSDS was added to the database. 

Surveillance

The NPIS also conducts surveillance activities on behalf of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and other Government Agencies on the toxic effects of products in the United Kingdom.

Governance and continuing professional development

All NPIS Units contribute to a National clinical governance system, and their staff participate in a National continuing professional development. NPIS Unit staff are heavily involved in teaching and research, both within the United Kingdom and at an international level. Staff contribute annually to the Congresses organised by the the British Toxicology Society, the   European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and are involved closely in the work of the of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and the EC.

Annual Reports

The NPIS publishes an Annual Report.

UK Teratology Information Service

The UK Teratology Information Service is funded by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to provide a National service on all aspects of reproductive toxicity of drugs and chemicals in pregnancy and prior to pregnancy throughout the United Kingdom. NTIS was established as part of the NPIS (Newcastle Unit) in 1995.

Consultant referrals

NPIS consultant staff hold clinical appointments in NHS Trusts and are therefore able to accept  clinical referrals from colleagues who require specialist assistance in the management of less common types of poisoning, such as those due to heavy metals.