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Restraint, Seclusion and PRN Medication in English Services for People with Learning Disabilities Administered by the National Health Service: An Analysis of the 2007 National Audit Survey
Author(s) -
Sturmey Peter
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3148.2008.00481.x
Subject(s) - audit , commission , service (business) , seclusion , medicine , learning disability , health care , sample (material) , national service , nursing , business , psychiatry , accounting , marketing , economics , finance , economic growth , chemistry , chromatography , political science , law
Background There is much interest in the use and prevention of unnecessary restrictive behavioural procedures; however, accurate estimates of their use are lacking. The Healthcare Commission and Commission for Social Care Inspection (2007) recently reported such data from a large sample of units administered by the National Health Service (NHS). Materials This study analysed data from The Healthcare Commission on the use of personal and mechanical restraint, PRN (as needed) medication and other restrictive procedures were analysed from 509 service units and 3902 service users. Results Approximately 80% of service units reported using PRN medication and approximately half of service units used personal or mechanical restraints. A small number of services units used restrictive procedures much more than most service units. A small number of service users experience a very large number of applications of restrictive procedures. Conclusion Contemporary English services administered by the NHS and independent health care use restrictive behaviour management procedures commonly, including non‐evidence‐based practices, such as PRN medication. These services should focus resources on the small proportion of services units and service users and adopt evidence‐based practices to safely reduce these restrictive procedures, enhance service user quality of life and ensure value for money from commissioned services.