Child Collects Psychiatric Meds Unchecked

A significant lapse in security occurred at Aberdeen's Royal Cornhill Hospital when a 15-year-old relative was permitted to collect medication for a patient. Crucially, no identification was requested from the teenager. The medication reportedly included lithium and diazepam, collected from a psychiatric ward.

NHS Grampian confirmed it has launched an "urgent" review following the incident. The health board stated that staff had been informed the individual was over 16, but this was not verified at the time of collection. This allowed for the potentially unsafe handover of prescription drugs.

Fiona Mitchelhill, chief officer of Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, highlighted the opportunity to strengthen procedures for third-party medication collection. Immediate steps have been implemented across wards to ensure medication is not typically given to individuals other than the patient, unless a documented arrangement is in place. The partnership is committed to learning from this event to enhance systems and patient safety.