Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director of Medicines Optimisation, NHS Coventry & Warwickshire ICB

The Board considered a Briefing Note of the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Communications and Public Affairs, NHS Coventry & Warwickshire ICB, regarding an update to the changes to the Prescription on Demand (POD) Service.

In December 2023, after consideration and engagement, the ICB recommended decommissioning of the POD service on the grounds of lack of value for money.  Deteriorating performance and operational difficulties were also noted. 

The report highlighted the following:

·  The POD closed on 28^th March 2024 as planned and the prescription ordering responsibility for 67,000 patients was transferred to GP practices. 

·  55 staff were made redundant however, the vast majority had found alternative employment.  A full package of employee support was made available to support staff.

·  The constant presence of management staff in the POD from December to March was successful in addressing staff concerns and providing reassurance.

·  Between January and March, all patients that called the POD were coached by call handlers about the changes and directed towards alternative methods of prescription ordering.

·  Patients identified as vulnerable and who felt they would have difficulty changing to the new system were identified by POD staff.  The practices would then provide additional support.

·  Use of the NHS App in Coventry and Warwickshire tripled over the first 3 months of 2024.

·  £250,000 was distributed on a Memorandum of Understanding basis to affected GP practices to provide support in repatriating prescription ordering from POD and to make the necessary communication with patients.

·  The ICB Medicines Optimisations team ran 7 training sessions with more than 120 practice staff covering prescription ordering, medicines wastage and use of online methods for ordering.

·  An assurance exercise in March confirmed 97% of practices that responded were confident they were able to safely take over prescription ordering.  6 practices were offered additional support in making the transition.

·  The number of calls to the POD phone line after closure continued to be monitored.

·  No formal complaints had been received by the ICB via the contactus inbox, the complaints inbox or reports of patients being unable to order their prescriptions.

·  Affected GP practices initially noted increased call volumes and workload through the first few weeks of April however, this did not become unmanageable.

·  The Medicines Optimisation Team developed a repeat prescribing toolkit for primary care use to improve repeat prescribing processes, patient care and reduce medicines waste in primary care.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing Councillor Caan, welcomed the positive steps and support put in place to enable the successful transition from POD to the dispensing of prescriptions at GP practices.

Members of the Scrutiny Board, having considered the verbal report asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

·  Partnership working to engage residents to access and use the NHS App for repeat ordering

·  Overall usage of the NHS app rising from 53% to 67% of the population (not Coventry specific) including booking secondary care

·  The NHS App being a national App which the ICB had no involvement in it’s design

·  Feedback on the NHS App was provided at national level through the App store and by the national team however, local engagement would be useful

·  The impact of medicines optimisation was monitored by the ICB for cost savings, quality, volume of prescriptions and green work

The Board requested:

• The number of patients using the NHS App month by month including a demographic breakdown if available.

• How to raise awareness of the NHS App including linking with the Council’s Digital Inclusion Team.

• Data relating to impact of POD’s closure, volume of prescriptions and cost savings to be circulated to the Board when available.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5):

1)  Note the contents of the report about the closure of the NHS POD Service.