My dad might need a syringe pump..

Hi everyone

my dad had cancer 5 years ago and now has side effects of sickness Daily so they are thinking about putting in a syringe pump my dad was wondering if he would still be able to go on holiday with it ? 

Thanks sky 

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    You explained about your dad and his syringe pump.

    He needs to discuss this with his GP to start with. If your dad is hoping to take a holiday in the UK, then the GP would need to prescribe supplies of the anti-sickness drug.

    The options would be to teach him or a family member how to change the pump when it runs out. A district nurse or a community macmillan nurse can do this. 

    Otherwise, asking the GP to refer them to a local community nurse team where he plans to holiday, who could then be available to change the pump for him when needed. If the holiday is not in the UK, then this is more complicated. He would need to be near medical facilities, and the GP would need to provide documentation that explains the pump and medicines to another health professional. Also, this is necessary for issues around going through airport security with certain medical supplies. 

    He would need to arrange this in advance of wherever he is planning to stay outside of the UK. There are useful links here,

    europa.eu/.../index_en.htm

    europa.eu/.../index_en.htm

    Other options might include temporarily using other routes such as transdermal skin patches or suppositories that may help. 

    I hope that this has been useful.

    Best wishes,

    Vanda