Council trading standards chiefs are launching a nationwide crackdown on inaccurate hospital weighing scales that could be putting patients’ lives at risk.

The new scheme follows a series of pilot studies by trading standards officers which found hospital staff using inaccurate and unsuitable scales to calculate dosages of medication for patients, including small children.

In one case a four-year-old cancer patient was weighed using ordinary bathroom scales so staff could work out how much radiation should be administered as part of her treatment. The scales, which were not fit for use in a hospital setting, wrongly indicated that the girl had gained weight during the day despite not having eaten and suffering from suspected dehydration. This discrepancy could have led to the girl being given a potentially harmful dose of radiation treatment.

Other problems uncovered by officers included weighing equipment going missing and hospital staff not having access to the correct scales for specific tasks.

As a result of these pilot studies LACORS, the national coordinating body for council trading standards services, has set up the National Medical Weighing Project which will run for one year starting in April 2008. Council trading standards officers across the UK will work with their local NHS Trusts to inspect all hospital weighing equipment and make sure they are accurate, legal and fit for purpose. Particular target areas will be oncology and paediatrics departments.

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald OBE, Chairman of LACORS, said:

“Going into hospital for treatment can be a worrying time for many people, and it is important that patients have full confidence that they are being given the right dose of medicine or other treatments. The new National Medical Weighing Project will give patients the peace of mind that they are receiving the correct level of medication and will help hospitals iron out any problems involving the accuracy of their weighing equipment.

“Trading standards officers haven’t traditionally visited hospitals, but it was clear from the pilot studies carried out that the accuracy of hospital scales is cause for concern. The new scheme will focus on making sure that hospital staff have the information and guidance they need to maintain the highest standards of accuracy. It is not about naming and shaming hospitals that are found to have problems, it is about working together to tackle a longstanding problem.

“Councils are committed to putting local people first and will work closely with their local NHS Trusts to make sure that hospital patients receive the best care possible.”

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The Government has issued a warning that patients could be given the wrong doses of drugs if their weight is calculated inaccurately.

In February it emerged that NHS staff had used defective bathroom scales to weigh a four-year-old cancer patient to calculate her radiation dosage.

In her case, the error was spotted in time. But trading standards officers began a national medical weighing project last month after many hospital scales were found to be inaccurate. They also found that staff did not have access to the right scales for specific tasks.

Officers will check that all weighing equipment is accurate and legal, focusing particularly on cancer and children’s departments. They will also ensure that staff are properly trained. The Department of Health said that all scales used in healthcare settings must be checked by the middle of next month.

Article from “The Times”

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