PLEASE VISIT: 

https://healthwatchkirklees.co.uk/trouble-disposing-of-sharps-bins/

FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION *2018*

 

 

Representatives from Dewsbury Young Diabetics Group talked to us about the difficulties that they are experiencing with disposing of used sharps. For these parents, it is entirely necessary for them to use sharps in the management and treatment of their child’s condition, but in some cases they are struggling to find an appropriate service to get rid of their full sharps bins.

These parents are being asked to:

– Contact Kirklees Council to ask them to collect the sharps bins from outside the person’s house

– Approach their local GP surgery or pharmacy and ask them to take the full bins

People are struggling with this because:

– The Kirklees Council collection service was not set up for this purpose, and people are asked to leave their bins outside of their house for extended periods, which isn’t ideal. This service is also very stretched, having not been set up for the collection of sharps bins from diabetic patients

– Some GPs and pharmacies will accept bins, but others will not. If your local GP/pharmacy does not accept these, it difficult to find out where else to go

The group has approached NHS England who commission GP services to ask them what they can do. Healthwatch Kirklees has followed this up, and NHS England have told us:

– They cannot force GPs/pharmacies to accept sharps, but they are trying to encourage them to provide this service.

– They are trying to create a comprehensive list of the pharmacies that provide this service, so people with diabetes can find out where to go to dispose of their bins

This continues to be an issue for the members of the Dewsbury Young Diabetics Group, and we will continue to pursue NHS England for further information about what they are doing to address this issue.