A package of radioactive medicines has been found in the street by a member of the public after it was lost while being moved between hospitals.
The package containing radiopharmaceuticals was being moved between two London hospitals when it was lost.
It is thought the medicines had not been secured properly to the vehicle transporting them, causing them to come loose. The package then came into contact with the internal door release and fell out of the vehicle.
Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive medicines and are often used to diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer. They are regularly transported to hospitals around the country and such instances of losing these drugs are rare.
The package was lost while being moved between Siemens’ Mount Vernon Hospital in London and London Bridge Hospital in September.
According to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) there was no risk to the member of the public who found the package and there was no harm caused to the environment.
However, the ONR issued an improvement notice on Siemens Healthcare Limited under the Health and Safety Work Act 1974.
The person who found it is said to have “quickly” contacted Siemens Healthcare to collect it, but no duration for how long the package was missing was given.
The ONR said its investigation into what happened found shortfalls in Siemens Healthcare’s radiation risk assessment for the transport of the material, and said the company did not have appropriate plans in place to respond to the loss of the material.
The ONR said Siemens Healthcare has made progress in improving its arrangements since the incident, but added more work is needed and that the notice must be complied with by January 21 next year.
