Health leaders in Norfolk and Waveney have unveiled plans to develop a new service to support the most vulnerable and digitally excluded patients with their repeat medication requests.
It comes as the NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) announced that the Prescription Ordering Direct service will close at the end of June.
The prescription ordering direct (POD) service - which allows patients to call a dedicated phone number where they can speak with a health professional or go online to order medication - will be replaced in the summer by a new limited service.
The move comes following public feedback, after the ICB had been considering the future of the POD service as part of proposals to develop a new operating model in which it would no longer be a direct provider of services.
The current POD team will be disestablished from June 30 and replaced by a smaller roving team of expert pharmacy technical staff who will support GP surgeries with prescription ordering across the whole of Norfolk and Waveney.
People who are able to use alternative methods of ordering their repeat prescriptions - such as through their GP surgery website or the NHS App - will be supported to transition across to these over the coming months.
More information about the new service is expected in the autumn.
'A valuable, unique, and helpful service'
Dr Frankie Swords, executive medical director at NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, said: "We know that the POD service, along with its colleagues, is very highly valued, not just by the ICB, but by patients and those working in primary care.
"However, we must be mindful that repeat prescribing in Norfolk and Waveney needs to be offered equitably, and this currently isn’t the case, and neither is it financially sustainable longer term.
“We want to prioritise support for the most vulnerable and digitally excluded patients in our communities across Norfolk and Waveney to manage their repeat prescription requests.
"Our next steps will be to undertake detailed work with local authority digital exclusion teams and other local partners to develop a new service to support repeat prescription management for these groups moving forwards."
Andy Yacoub, chief executive of Healthwatch Suffolk, said: "Naturally, people will be disheartened at the loss of what has been described as a valuable, unique, and helpful service.
"However, it is clear people’s experiences have been thoroughly considered and we are pleased that there are plans in place to continue to meet the needs of those who are most vulnerable."
Jess Asato, Labour’s candidate for Lowestoft and Keir Cozens, Labour’s candidate for Great Yarmouth, jointly said: "The closure of the Prescription Ordering Direct Service will remove a lifeline for many residents who can’t access digital solutions, so we are pleased to see that the ICB is looking at new ways to ensure this vulnerable group are supported going forward."
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