Important Information about Repeat Prescription Ordering
Heart of Bath will no longer be accepting repeat requests from community pharmacies or other third-party pharmacy services (including appliance contractors).
We are encouraging patients/carers to take responsibility for their own prescription ordering to reduce the number of unnecessary prescriptions. This has demonstrated significant waste reduction across other practices.
Prescriptions can be ordered directly through any of the other usual routes:
- Call Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) on 03003035090 (local rate) – Open 10am – 3pm
- Email your request to POD at Email: bswccg.podemergency@nhs.net
- Complete a POD contact form
- Online via the NHS App
- Login to our SystmOne repeat service (if you are already registered)
- By post to Oldfield Surgery, 45 Upper Oldfield Park, Bath BA2 3HT
- Drop your repeat request slip into your surgery
If you feel you are unable to order your own prescriptions or are the carer for somebody who is unable to order their own prescriptions, please ask your community pharmacist who can advise you.
Please email any queries to bswccg.heartofbath@nhs.net
We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Many thanks, Heart of Bath.
Our aim is to
- improve the repeat prescription service
- give your GP more time to focus on patient contact and clinical matters
- increase the safety and effectiveness of repeat prescribing
- reduce prescribed medication wastage.
Together we can save the NHS money to spend on other important services.
New opening times: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Please note Mondays are our busiest day, and our lines are always very busy during the first hour of any day (9am – 10am). If you can’t get through first time, please do try again after 15 minutes to allow the queue to reduce. The average call duration is only 3 minutes so you won’t have to wait long. The best times to call are between 12 and 4 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Closed weekends and bank holidays.
New Phone Number: 03003 035090 (local rate)
Please call when you have 7 days of medication left.
Note: Calls to our existing prescription line number will automatically divert to the new number.
Provided by NHS Bath Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group
(BSWCCG POD)
The new service will be provided by the NHS Bath Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group. A team of trained and experienced prescription coordinators and pharmacists will work closely with your GP and the rest of the Heart of Bath team. Your GP will still authorise all your prescriptions.
- Calls will be answered by non-Heart of Bath NHS staff. They will always seek your consent to access your repeat prescription records at Heart of Bath (HOB). The service is private and confidential and your personal data will be securely held.
- If you do not consent to the BSWCCG POD accessing your records you will need to order using one of the options listed below.
- Calls to the line will not be transferable back to other HOB services or phone numbers.
- The time between ordering and collecting your repeat medication may be up to 7 days.
- We do not anticipate that timescales will be different from your current experience.
What will happen when you call the new service
When you call, the prescription coordinator will ask you to confirm:
- Which surgery you are at
- Your consent for them to access your medical record
- Your date of birth and/or name
- Which repeat medication you need
Your prescription will then be issued for your GP to sign.
As is the case now, once signed most prescriptions will be sent electronically to your chosen pharmacy.
In addition to ordering regular repeat medication patients will be able to:
- Issue in advance for holiday and bank holidays
- Synchronise all repeat medications so they can be collected all together every two months
- Keep Repeats Slips up to date – stopped medication can be removed and new repeat medication added
- Offer Repeat Dispensing batches for applicable patients
- Change the pharmacy where you collect your medication, either one off or going forward
- Answer any queries you have regarding repeat medication
- Track your prescriptions whereabouts
- Inform you if you are due a Medication Review
- Issue medication recommended by a hospital/specialist. (The evidence required for us to do this may take up to 2 weeks to show in your record).
- Issue stoma and colostomy products
The POD cannot
- Book appointments
- Communicate or comment on test results
- Issue urgent non-repeat prescriptions
- Issue antibiotics (unless this has been agreed in advance by your GP)
- Request hospital medications
- Routinely contact community pharmacies to chase up prescriptions and/or deliveries
Other ways to contact the POD
If you are unable to get through to POD telephone line
Email: bswccg.podemergency@nhs.net or
Complete the contact form