Consultant: No need for large concern

A consultant paediatrician at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle has downplayed fears that inadequate hospital weighing scales are leading to incorrect doses of medicine being given.

Dr George Rylance said patient weight is not the only factor doctors used to measure dosage of medicine.

His comments follow the announcement by the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services that it is to oversee checks of all hospital weighing scales.

The investigation was deemed necessary after pilot studies found that that some hospitals are using unsuitable scales to calculate dosages of medication for patients, including small children.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Rylance said: "Weight is the basis for most dose calculations for children, but it is not critical, because one uses age as a proxy for weight in this respect.

"It would be alarmist to say that the accuracy is so important in determining the doses and getting the doses appropriately for children."

He added: "Obviously any degree of inaccuracy is unacceptable because as professionals if we are using equipment, we want to know that that equipment is fit for purpose and if there is an element of measurement we want to know that that measurement is accurate."

"But it would be going too far to say any minor degree of inaccuracy would have significant implications for, say, dosing of medication in children."