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The development of competence in numeracy by healthcare staff and students of healthcare courses within higher education is a key area for concern, as shown by successive studies (Jukes & Gilchrist, 2006). The NPSA, in partnership with the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Publishing Group, has provided a standardised online educational package for junior doctors (NPSA, 2006a) but as yet nothing has been instigated for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Medication calculations are an important part of the numeracy required for healthcare. Medication errors are an aspect of clinical governance highlighted recently by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in England and Wales and currently targeted for remedial action (NPSA, 2006a, 2006b). The number of injuries and deaths attributable to medication error in the NHS is unknown but 9% of incidents reported to the NPSA in its pilot data audit involved medicines (NPSA, 2003); this is consistent with historical data. However, since calculation error is not separately identified as an aspect of medication error it is not known how many of these were calculation errors. The Department of Health report on Improving Medication Safety (Smith, 2004) put some of the blame for medication errors on inadequacies in the education and training of both doctors and nurses. In Scotland, a recent report, Safe Today, Safer Tomorrow (NHS/QIS, 2006) focused on patient safety and risk management, including medication error and recommended that NHS QIS should take responsibility for co-ordinating the development of a structured action plan, including costs and timescales, in order to take this work forward (NHS/QIS, 2006, p. 16). From 6th March 2009 the NPSA has begun publishing Organisation Patient Safety Incident Reports from each NHS trust or local health board in England and Wales.
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