STAFF at Leighton Hospital have urged Matt Hancock to lobby for changes to prescribing laws.

They made their call during a virtual meeting with the Health Secretary after Crewe and Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan was approached by senior operating department practitioner (ODP) Jessica Warr.

Jessica was joined by other ODPs in advanced roles from Leighton and other hospitals and they asked the Mr Hancock to consider including ODPs in new laws currently being developed for widening prescribing in the NHS.

Jessica said: "We are concerned about the limitations placed on our profession due to lack of prescribing rights. ODPs do not have access to prescribing, unlike the nurses we proudly work alongside.

"Prescribing, particularly in advanced roles, would be to the patient's benefit and enhance service delivery. I'd like to thank Kieran for creating an opportunity to get our voices heard."

Jessica was joined by her colleague from Leighton, Emma Quinn, an accredited Bowelscope endoscopist and senior ODP, who said: "At the moment medics need to sign 40 to 50 prescriptions weekly for the drugs I have been fully trained to give, whereas for nurses they do not.

"I am beginning colonoscopy training at masters level in 12 months and ideally need to be a prescriber for some of the required drugs. These disruptions can cause service delays and interruptions to patient care."

Dr Kieran Mullan commented: "I was very glad to be able to help Jessica and Emma make their case directly to the Health Secretary so that this is on his radar as we develop prescribing."

During the meeting Mr Hancock pledged to review ODP prescribing as part of the new regulations.

"I'm absolutely open to this in principle, there is a bit of process we need to go through to ensure the new law comes into force. We need to do this properly but my door is always open and I will keep working with Kieran to drive this forward," he said.