NHS got the calculations incorrect for medication

[sandybrown]

In the papers today, due to IT and software the NHS got calculations incorrect and gave people incorrect dosage of medication!!!!

Who do you trust is the big question?

[sandybrown]

The calculator is QRISK2. Read more about it:

telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/0...

[teessidesitp]

This is a prgramming glitch, a mistake. I hope nobody has been harmed as a result. However, as Health Unlocked says, "Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them". If you are concerned about this then speak to your GP first to see if he was using the software and ask for a reassessment if he was.

[sandybrown in reply to teessidesitp]

Thanks for your response.

My strong belief is there can be possible mistakes in any human made calculations!

It is up to any individuals to ask questions for explanation or walk away from it when it comes to medication.

I am informing other people in the community of what I have read. IT services and software developers over the years had a lot of problem, example HMRC, NHS, communications companies and so on, this is from what I have read. The question is do GP understand a 30 % risk and how to explain this, varying the input numbers and offer more explanation?

This risk calculator has been going on for many years, did a GP ever question the answer and bring it forward to discussion.

Computer do work properly for plan taking off and landing, can you imagine a glitch?

I better stop hers.

[Gardengnome1942]

With the tick box culture we have in the NHS it's my opinion many doctors don't use their own judgement, far too many of them just look at the screen and not the patient in front of them. It must be right if the NHS says so! And frankly not enough patients query the advice. I ask my dr if she would take the medication she is recommending.

[sandybrown]

I am sorry and I am confused. When I put a post with information I like every one to read, at least if one person can benefit for my post then I have achieved my objective. In my life style change over the last four years few people have benefited from my post and also I have benefited in reading all the posts in the HU community. I am happy to wear a green HU, T-Shirt.

[PeterWh]

Reading the comments made me think that everyone ought to remember that the programmes are an invaluable tool to doctors to make decisions and also from a patients point of view removes some of the bias / personal opinions and preferences of individual doctors and overall provides a better standard and a more consistent level of care.

My gut feeling on this case is that, without QRisk2, most doctors would have erred on the side of caution and prescribed statins so people on a low risk would have been taking them unnecessarily (and all the issues that raises). On the flip side some doctors who are minimalistic on medicines or take the view we never used to do this would have not prescribed statins to those who really should be on them.

OK there is a fault this time but think of the thousands of cases that are beneficial due to the use of computers.

BYW I was on simvastatin but had to stop due to liver problems it cased (4 times out of range) and now control by diet.