Policy on Sedatives for Procedures and Scans

We are unable to prescribe sedatives, such as diazepam, for any procedure or scan being undertaken outside the practice. This includes MRI scans and dental procedures.

If you feel you need sedation for a procedure or scan, please speak to the team undertaking the procedure or scan, as they are responsible for providing this if needed.

Why we do not prescribe sedatives for External Procedures:

  • 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 a MRI machine.
  • Policy on Sedatives for Procedures and Scans: The Royal College of Radiologists’ guidelines on sedation for imaging make no mention of GP involvement or prescribing and stress the importance of experienced, well-trained staff being involved and the need for monitoring of sedated patients.

Feel free to show this policy to your hospital team or dentist.

Thank you for your understanding

The Westgate Practice