Patients asked to bag medication

The bags will be given out by ambulance and A&E staff

Patients are to be asked to fill bags with their pills and drugs when they come into hospital to help doctors know exactly what medication they are on.

Hospital bosses in Bournemouth, Dorset, have told ambulance and A&E staff to start giving patients green bags.

The bags, which stay with the patient while in hospital, are meant to be filled with medication, prescriptions and a list of drug allergies.

It is claimed that will help doctors to give out the appropriate treatment.

Emergency list

Kathlyn White, a pharmacist at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said: "Bringing medication into hospital helps us provide a more accurate and prompt service, especially out of hours when we are unable to verify drug histories with GP surgeries.

"If the patient has their supply of medication to hand this also reduces the chance of missing doses while a new supply is obtained."

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is launching the scheme on Wednesday.

The trust says it accepts that circumstances will not always allow patients to collect their medication and is urging people to keep a list with them in case of an emergency.