It is practice policy not to prescribe sedatives, such as diazepam, for any procedure or scan being undertaken outside the practice. This includes MRI scans and dental procedures.
This is because responsibility for monitoring the patient during the scan/procedure is the responsibility of the prescriber, so should be prescribed the consultant or dentist requesting it or radiographer. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. If you feel you need support, please contact the clinician who requested the MRI or procedure. They may prescribe if they feel appropriate. All our local NHS hospitals and Dentists have formal procedures in place for sedation during procedures, so you should not be directed to your GP for this.
We hope the reasons outlined below help to explain our main concerns.
- Lack of Regular Involvement and Training: GPs are not regularly involved, skilled, trained, or appraised in sedation skills. Providing too little sedation won’t help you, and providing too much sedation can make you too sleepy, which could lead to the procedure being cancelled. Excessive sedation can also dangerously affect your breathing. After taking a sedative for a procedure or scan, you will need to be closely monitored to keep you safe.
- Unpredictable Effects of Diazepam: Although diazepam makes most people sleepy, in some rare situations, it can have the opposite effect and make people aggressive or agitated.
- Timing of Sedation: Scans and hospital procedures are often delayed. Therefore, the team performing the procedure or scan should provide the sedation to ensure you become sleepy and relaxed at the right time.
- Need for Regular Monitoring: Sedated patients should be regularly monitored. There has been a case where a GP-prescribed sedative was used, the patient wasn’t monitored, and subsequently had a respiratory arrest in an MRI machine.
Feel free to show this policy to your hospital team or dentist.