Patients invited to have their say on medication advice before planned surgery

Patients who have undergone planned surgery at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) are being invited to share their experiences as part of a research study looking at how people are supported with their medication before an operation.

The study, led by UHNM’s Pharmacy team, aims to better understand the reasons why patients may or may not follow instructions about taking their medicines in the run-up to planned surgery. 

Researchers are looking for patients who have had surgery at Royal Stoke University Hospital or County Hospital to take part in a focus group and talk about the information they received before their operation. 

Sarah Tinsley, Advanced Clinical Lead Pharmacist for Surgery at UHNM said: “We know that preparing for surgery can involve receiving lots of different information, including instructions about medicines. We want to hear directly from patients about their experiences, including any challenges they faced, information they felt was missing and what we could do differently to make things clearer and easier to follow.

“By sharing their experiences and suggestions, patients can help shape this research and improve how people preparing for surgery are supported with their medicines in the future.”

Anyone interested in taking part or who would like more information about the study can contact Sarah.Tinsley@uhnm.nhs.uk or 01782 674540.