Keep on top of prescriptions this Christmas

As preparations for Christmas ramp up, the local NHS is reminding patients to use help from Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) to ensure they have ordered their repeat prescriptions before the holidays.

Patients in West Lancashire can either order their repeat prescription by:

• Ticking the right-hand side of their prescription slip;
• By using the FREE Patient Access website and/or smartphone app, simply search ‘patient access’ on the app store, or visit www.patientaccess.com.
• Or by calling the POD from 8.30am – 11.30am or 2.30pm – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Over the festive period, the POD will be open from 8.30am to 1.30pm on Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24 December 2019) and will be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December 2019), Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December 2019) and New Years’ Day (Wednesday 1 January 2020). Therefore, residents are urged to plan well ahead and order their prescriptions well in advance.

However, if you do find that you need an emergency prescription over the festive period, you can do so by visiting your pharmacy, or online by visiting www.111.nhs.uk/emergency-prescription.

Local pharmacies offer free, confidential and expert advice on a wide range of health issues. They can give clinical advice about many minor health concerns and advise if you need further support beyond what they can offer.

Local pharmacy opening times will vary over the bank holidays:

Claire Heneghan, chief nurse at NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “It’s really important to plan ahead and ensure that you avoid where possible, any last-minute dashes to the pharmacy to collect your repeat prescriptions.

“In West Lancashire patients can speak to a helpful member of staff at the POD, or manage their repeat prescriptions from the comfort of their home using the Patient Access website and smartphone app, or if they would rather visit a pharmacy, there are a wide number open throughout the festive period, including all bank holidays.

“The POD is growing with most practices in West Lancashire now involved, at present there are a few practices outside of the POD which are Beacon Primary Care, Hall Green and Parbold, if you are registered with these practices, please use their usual prescription ordering processes.”

One year on from the launch of the POD, the CCG is keen to listen to feedback on the service from those people who have used the POD. From patients, to pharmacies and GP practices. This feedback will help the CCG to understand how the service is working and any areas that need to be addressed or improved. The survey is available online: www.surveymonkey.com/r/WLCCGPOD, physical copies are also available from GP practices, pharmacies, or by calling ‪01695 588 203‬.

Claire Heneghan continued:

“The POD is a really valuable way of helping patients manage their repeat prescriptions. However, it’s important that we listen to feedback from people who are using it, so that we can look at how we can improve it and make the experience better for all patients.

“We would really encourage anyone who has experience of the POD to share their views.”

To keep people healthy over their Christmas and New Year period, the NHS body is also reminding everyone of services that can help them:

• Pharmacy Pharmacies offer free, confidential and expert advice about minor health concerns.
• Online Access trusted advice and information by visiting www.nhs.uk
• NHS111 When you need medical help or advice fast, but it is not a 999 emergency, call NHS111 service for FREE from mobile/landline
• GP GPs are open in core hours during the day, although local practice times may vary.
• Extended Access Local GP’s are available evenings/weekend, seven days a week, 365 days-a-year. To book an appointment, call your GP practice or visit www.nhs.uk/GPaccess
• GP out-of-hours You can still speak to a GP even after your practice has closed by using the GP out-of-hours service. To access this service, simply call NHS111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk.
• Dental For emergency treatment when your dentist is closed, call ‪0300 123 4010‬.
• Walk-in Centre and Urgent Treatment Centre Both centres can treat minor injuries and ailments, and are open seven days a week, 365 days-a-year and open 8am-8pm. Ormskirk Urgent Treatment Centre (Ormskirk Hospital, Wigan Road, Ormskirk, L39 2AZ), call 111 for appointment. Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre (The Concourse, Skelmersdale, WN8 6LJ) You will be seen in priority order, which will be decided by a clinician.
• Patient Access www.patientaccess.com