Our impact: Struggling to manage medication shortages

Report - 25 September 2024

We escalated people’s concerns about limited access to ADHD and other important medications to NHS England through Healthwatch England.

Thanks to the efforts of Healthwatch Kingston, your requests for our help contributed to Healthwatch England raising the alarm with MPs in the Health Select Committee in January 2024, that patients were playing “pharmacy bingo” trying to find out where their medications were in stock, and calling for a system to be introduced that would allow people to search pharmacies for availability of their prescription drugs.

I wanted to let Healthwatch Kingston know I have had my first full dose of ADHD medication for the first time in a while, due to the ADHD medication shortage.

Kingston resident

Healthwatch England network research reported similar experiences to what we have heard locally. For example, one diabetes patient had halved their medication due to ongoing shortages, while “around 70 per cent of ADHD patients have had to ration their medication as a result of shortages”.

You might also be interested in

ambulance

Our impact: 100 Kingston residents help London Assembly shape new ambulance plans for millions of Londoners

In 2023, to ensure the views of people we engaged with helped inform change, we shared findings from our ‘London Ambulance Service Strategy 2023–2028: Healthwatch Kingston Community Engagement Report and Recommendations’ with the London Assembly Health Committee. Our research findings were included in the Committee’s formal letter to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) following their call for written evidence from patient groups and members of the public.
Find out more