Cardiff and Vale UHB Chief Executive visits the AWTTC and WNPU offices

5 March 2024

We were delighted to welcome the Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Suzanne Rankin to our offices to find out about the work we do in supporting safe and effective prescribing in Wales.

A round table discussion took place at the Routledge Academic Centre in University Hospital Llandough with Programme Director Andy Champion, Senior Liaison Manager Ruth Lang and Professor James Coulson where Suzanne discovered more about the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) and how we support the All Wales Medicine Strategy Group, Welsh Government’s advisory committee on medicines management and prescribing. This includes the assessment of medicines and co-ordination of associated commercial arrangements, the development of medicines optimisation resources, pharmacovigilance and medicines safety, the analysis and reporting of prescribing data, horizon scanning and provision of 24-hour clinical toxicology services.

Suzanne was also made aware of the important work of the Yellow Card Centre Wales, one of five regional monitoring centres in the UK acting on behalf of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which promotes the reporting of adverse reactions to medicines and vaccines.

During the second part of the visit Suzanne also had a tour of the Welsh National Poisons Unit (WNPU) situated within University Hospital Llandough to see first-hand the work of the team. The WNPU is part of the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) and provides healthcare professionals with accurate advice 24 hours a day 365 days a year on the toxicity of substances and how to manage exposures to them. Professor James Coulson and Dr Laurence Gray, Consultant Clinical Pharmacologist, facilitated a ‘walk and talk’ guide around WNPU meeting some of the team who provide the round the clock advice on the NPIS phone lines.

To find out more about the visit watch the videos Part 1 and Part 2