NHS

Improving Quality

NHS Improving Quality working in

partnership with NHS England

Winterbourne Medicines Programme

In the Department of Health review Transforming care: A national
response to Winterbourne View Hospital, deep concerns were reported
about the overuse of medications in people who have learning disabilities
and behaviours that can challenge.
This programme aspires to ensure safe, appropriate and optimised use of
medication for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour can
challenge.

Programme objectives:
Scope: People with learning disabilities
whose behaviour can challenge
Age Range:
Children
Young People
Adults

Settings:
Hospital
At home
Supported
housing
Treatment
centres

Medication Groups:
Anti-Depressants
Anti-Psychotics
Mood Stabilisers
Benzodiazepines

Secure settings
Private care homes
Prisons
Custody
Schools

Ensure the service user is

central to the work.
To review and develop a
deep understanding of
issues around current
medication processes.
To identify and share
notable practice.
To identify a method of
measuring change and
improvement.
Test new ways of working
to improve process where
appropriate.
To improve awareness of
the issues around
medication.

NHS
Improving Quality

Winterbourne Medicines Programme

Working in partnership with individuals,
teams and organisations to improve
health outcomes, NHS Improving Quality
is providing improvement and change
expertise to deliver real benefits for people
with learning disabilities whose behaviour
can challenge and their families and carers.
We are working in partnership with
the following sites:
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation
Trust
Northumberland Tyne and Wear
NHS Foundation Trust
South West London and St Georges
Mental Health Trust
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation
Trust

Some current national

issues include:
Medication is sometimes
used to suppress behaviour
that challenges.
Medication is used off
licence for people with
learning disabilities and
behaviour that challenges.
People are sometmes
prescribed medication
without timely reviews.
Issues with prescribing,
administration and review
of medication.
Other services like
behavioural support are
not readily available.

Together we will develop a deep understanding of issues around current

medication processes, capture a baseline for testing improvements and
share good practice for patients/clients, families and carers.

You can get involved too!

Visit our website www.nhsiq.nhs.uk/winterbourne and join our
learning disability community of practice via www.6cs.england.nhs.uk
to share learning, guidelines, research papers, case studies and blogs.
enquiries@nhsiq.nhs.uk #winterbourne_meds @nhsiq