South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) which runs the region’s NHS 111 service, is urging patients who take regular medication to plan ahead and avoid running out – especially before bank holidays – as urgent calls for repeat prescriptions have risen sharply in the past year.
New figures show a 61% increase in calls to NHS 111 for urgent repeat prescriptions, with the service now receiving around 16,000 calls a year for this issue alone. Bank holidays are the busiest periods, when demand for the NHS 111 service is already high.
Many of these calls could be avoided if patients checked their medication supply regularly and ordered repeat prescriptions in advance. Patients are reminded to allow up to five working days from ordering their repeat prescription to collecting it, factoring in pharmacy and GP surgery opening hours during holiday periods.
SCAS is also highlighting quicker, more convenient alternatives to calling the helpline, especially on bank holidays when callers can find themselves at times in a long queue waiting to speak to someone:
- The NHS App – available 24/7, all year round, to request repeat prescriptions and access other health services
- 111 online – also available 27/7, providing advice and services, such as ordering a repeat prescription, without waiting in a phone queue
Both services are free to use and in most cases, will be much faster than calling NHS 111, particularly at peak times.
Jonathan Osmond, locality manager for integrated urgent care and NHS 111 services at SCAS, said: “You may have noticed a change in services at your local pharmacy; if you haven’t yet, it’s really important to know that you can no longer request repeat prescriptions via your pharmacy. This must now be done via the NHS App or via your own GP practice. This is to ensure that all medication requests are clinically reviewed and safely managed.”
“If you have a smartphone or tablet, the NHS App is really easy to set up. You only need to set it up once and it then allows repeat prescription requests including emergency supply, now and in the future. Many GP surgeries offer an online service for repeat prescriptions too and, once approved, these can be sent to your home address or a nominated pharmacy for collection.”
The message is clear: don’t leave it too late. Check your medication today, order in plenty of time, and use the NHS App or 111 online for the fastest service.
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