Patients across Hampshire, including Andover, are being urged to check their repeat prescriptions and order in good time – especially before Bank Holidays – as urgent calls to NHS 111 for emergency supplies have risen sharply over the past year.
South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), which runs the region’s NHS 111 service, says calls for urgent repeat prescriptions have increased by 61%, with around 16,000 calls now received each year for this issue alone. Bank holidays are the busiest periods, when demand on NHS 111 is already high.
SCAS is asking patients to allow up to five working days from ordering a repeat prescription to collecting it, taking into account GP surgery and pharmacy opening hours over holiday periods.
To save time, patients are encouraged to use digital options rather than calling 111 for routine requests:
- NHS App – available 24/7 to request repeat prescriptions and access other services
- 111 online – available 24/7 for advice and services, including help with repeat prescriptions
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 from SCAS is clear: check your medication today, order in plenty of time, and use the NHS App or 111 online for the fastest service.