What services does
NPIS provide?
The services provided by NPIS are outlined below.
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Provision of information on suspected
poisonings or exposures to a large range of substances
including medicines, drugs of abuse, household and
industrial chemicals, and complimentary and alternative
medicines. |
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Advice
on the effects of drug and chemical exposures during pregnancy
via the UK
Teratology Information Service.
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Maintaining
a registry of data on the composition of consumer products via the NPIS Product Data Centre.
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Horizon
scanning and summary of the current scientific literature about
poisoning via the NPIS publication Current
Awareness in Clinical Toxicology.
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Tablet
identification services. |
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Location
of antidotes. |
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Location
of laboratory assays that may be required in the treatment of
poisoning. |
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Education
for NHS staff about the management of poisoning.
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Research
about poisoning and clinical toxicology.
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Advice
to Government bodies and other organisations about
toxicological issues. |
These services are not for members of the public;
NPIS supports NHS Direct (England and Wales) and NHS 24
(Scotland) in providing advice to members of the public.
Northern Ireland is served by the Northern
Ireland Regional Medicines and Poison Information Service in
Belfast during the daytime and uses the NPIS out of hours.
Calls from Ireland are handled by the NPIS
between 10pm and 8am.
How
is the service organized nationally?
Although the NPIS is provided by Units embedded in
separate NHS Trusts, a uniform National service is ensured by
the following arrangements:
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Each
Unit holds a contract for provision of services to the Health
Protection Agency. These
contracts are in a common format and include key performance
indicators; |
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All
NPIS Units work to common national standards as detailed in
agreed operational procedures;
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All
telephone enquiries are recorded on the UK Poisons Information
Database (UKPID), software specifically developed for
this purpose. Comprehensive data protection arrangements are in
place; |
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The
NPIS Clinical Standards Group meets quarterly to develop and
finalise clinical advice and discuss clinical governance issues.
In addition, the Group discusses urgent issues more frequently by
teleconference; |
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The
TOXBASE editing group meets quarterly to edit and agree TOXBASE
entries; |
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Joint
NPIS Commissioning meetings take place quarterly to discuss NPIS
policy issues. In addition, each Unit will have at least one
formal meeting with commissioners each year to review progress
against their contract and to agree a contract and budgets for
the subsequent year; |
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NPIS
Continuing Professional Development meetings take place
quarterly, with the location rotating around the NPIS Units.
These are open to all NPIS staff and have sessions designed for
information scientists and for clinicians;
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The
UKPID user group meets regularly to discuss issues relating to
enquiry logging software. |
How is the quality of services
assured?
The quality of services provided by NPIS is
assured by:
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Appropriate induction, training and assessment of
staff; |
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Continuing professional development opportunities;
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Formal audit of advice provided;
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The availability of 24h consultant support;
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An annual stakeholder feedback exercise.
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How is NPIS funded?
NPIS is funded mainly through ‘Government Grant
in Aid’ from the UK Health Departments, some contract income and
some research income. The NPIS programme costs some £3.5 million. Medical staff costs are 26% of the
expenditure, specialists in poisons information (SPIs) 54%, and
all other supporting costs 20%.
What information is
available on the activity of NPIS?
Details of the activity of NPIS is provided in
an Annual Report.
National Poisons Information Service - Annual Report 2007/2008
National Poisons Information
Service - Annual Report 2006/2007
National Poisons Information
Service - Annual Report 2005/2006
What government bodies does NPIS advise?
NPIS Units also provide information and advice to
the following:
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Confidential
health advice and information service for Scotland