OPALS Scotland Opioid AnaLgesia Stewardship in Scottish Hospitals

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  OPALS Scotland Opioid AnaLgesia Stewardship in Scottish Hospitals

• IRAS ID

  360502

• Contact name

  Alasdair Hay

• Contact email

  alasdair.hay2@nhs.scot

• Sponsor organisation

  NHS Dumfries & Galloway

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 7 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  We would like to investigate pain management after an operation including the concept of ‘opioid stewardship’. Opioids are strong pain killers (including morphine and oxycodone). Opioid Stewardship is a term used to describe programmes that optimise the benefits of opioid therapy (adequate pain relief) whilst minimising the risks which include dependence (addiction).

  We want to understand the challenges nurses experience administering pain killers to patients on a busy ward and the consequences for patients of delays in giving pain medications. At Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary (DGRI) we have data showing that after an operation many patients in severe pain wait over 30 minutes for pain medications.
  Our research is in four parts. Firstly, we plan to investigate post-op patients by asking them about their personal experiences of pain and how long they have had to wait for pain relief.
  Secondly, we would like to survey nurses working in surgical wards across Scotland about their experiences managing patients' pain medications. At DGRI we have found:
  • nurses are too busy to answer the patients' buzzers quickly
  • checking out controlled drugs such as morphine from a locked cupboard
  • filling in the paperwork is time consuming.
  We would also like to ask the nurses about any 'workarounds' they have developed. If nursing tasks are time consuming busy nurses naturally look for workarounds. Workarounds highlight failing systems that require innovation to improve efficiency and safety.
  Thirdly, we also want to understand the challenges of weaning patients off pain medications after surgery by asking prescribers how they do this
  Lastly, we would like to formally measure how long it takes for nurses to administer pain medications rather than rely on published estimates. We plan to do this using a ‘Time and Motion’ method. This means an observer following the nurse and timing the process
  

• REC name

  South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  26/SW/0035

• Date of REC Opinion

  6 May 2026

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion