# Fears for pensioners and vulnerable as NHS moves to axe telephone prescription services



## Northerner (Jul 13, 2020)

New guidance from NHS England that encourages doctors’ surgeries to abandon taking repeat prescription requests by phone could leave millions of elderly and vulnerable patients without access to vital medicines.

The move, endorsed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has been slammed by leading charities for the elderly and disabled, which claim it could lead to people becoming “seriously unwell”.

GP services across England have warned that from 1 September they will no longer accept repeat prescription requests via the phone and that patients will be asked to either order online or attend the surgery in person in order to order medication.

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, of the four million adults who have never used the internet, 2.5 million are aged 75 years and over. There are also around 2.9 million disabled people without regular access to the web. 









						Fears for pensioners and vulnerable as NHS moves to axe telephone prescription services
					

Exclusive: Patients are being told they cannot order repeat prescription by phone from 1 September as Government backs digital system, which Age UK warns could lead to older people becoming "seriously unwell"




					inews.co.uk
				




Seriously, what planet do these people live on? The other day a minister said 'most people in cities outside London use their cars to get to work', and now they assume everyone has access to the internet and knows how to use it  Completely out of touch and not able to see beyond their own privileged experience


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 13, 2020)

Haven't been able to order repeats by phone here for years. For at least a few of the GP practices. Particular issue at the moment. We're getting told not to go into the surgery.
In my area you can get the pharmacy to order repeats for you. My mum managed to get her pharmacy to deliver! Some people might not want that in normal times though.


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## grovesy (Jul 13, 2020)

Same here. I was talking to my nieghbour who was just off to catch the bus to the other side of the city to collect her prescription, as her surgery no longer allow the pharmacy around the corner to fax the request through as she does not have home delivery.


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## Amity Island (Jul 13, 2020)

Ralph-YK said:


> Particular issue at the moment. We're getting told not to go into the surgery.


That sums the issue up very well. Haven't enough elderly people suffered through this pandemic without making them leave their homes (particularly if self isolating or just not well enough) and go into a high risk place for catching covid19?

Ralph, my G.P too stopped telephone prescriptions years ago, but, they said it was because of data protection?


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## grovesy (Jul 13, 2020)

Amity Island said:


> That sums the issue up very well. Haven't enough elderly people suffered through this pandemic without making them leave their homes (particularly if self isolating or just not well enough) and go into a high risk place for catching covid19?
> 
> Ralph, my G.P too stopped telephone prescriptions years ago, but, they said it was because of data protection?


I thought it was to reduce the risk of errors.


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 13, 2020)

grovesy said:


> Same here. I was talking to my nieghbour who was just off to catch the bus to the other side of the city to collect her prescription, as her surgery no longer allow the pharmacy around the corner to fax the request through as she does not have home delivery.


 ???? What??!!!!  
As far as I know, you get to choose whichever pharmacy you want! Except the occational pescription issued by the hospital, which is for their pharmacy.


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## trophywench (Jul 13, 2020)

They did that in Coventry a while ago, but the CCG now have a service they call the POD - prescription order & delivery - and that's what they do - you ring them and it's sorted.  I can still order online and use my usual pharmacy though, but there again having a computer and online access it's no hassle.


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## grovesy (Jul 13, 2020)

Ralph-YK said:


> ???? What??!!!!
> As far as I know, you get to choose whichever pharmacy you want! Except the occational pescription issued by the hospital, which is for their pharmacy.


Yeah  she has been using the same Pharmacy  for years. I told her I order mine online and are electronically sent to the Pharmacy. The Pharmacy is just around the corner to us. I know she uses the Internet as she uses Amazon and Online supermarket deliveries. Hopefully she is sorted.


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## Amity Island (Jul 13, 2020)

grovesy said:


> I thought it was to reduce the risk of errors.


Grovesy,

Data protection was the reason I was given by the receptionist. Don't suppose it really matters now....they're going to go digital regardless. I think most will be able to have a friend to order for them, but there will be some who won't have any other means.


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## trophywench (Jul 13, 2020)

I said with the POD it would be a retrograde step for me - cos I order mine when it happens to cross my mind so if that happens to be 9pm I then have to try and remember to do it when they're open, exactly the same as I used to have to when we had to ring the surgery .... could spend a few hours when I should have been concentrating on my paid work which involved telephone calls I couldn't make as I'd still be hanging on to get to the top of the calls waiting list at the surgery.


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## Drummer (Jul 13, 2020)

My sister told me that they now can no longer do banking on line because they do not have a smart phone. The old system was becoming - or perhaps always had been - insecure, and as their local branch had closed down, they have been having to travel into town to the main one.
Phones with apps seem to be relied on for so much these days.


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 13, 2020)

Drummer said:


> because they do not have a smart phone.


Is that as in no internet access at all. If you have a computer & internet access you can use that for online banking (using your web browser). I used to only do it that way all the time, and still do part of the time.


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## grovesy (Jul 13, 2020)

I use online banking. Most have added an extra layer of security sending One Time Only Code via a text.


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 13, 2020)

grovesy said:


> I use online banking. Most have added an extra layer of security sending One Time Only Code via a text.


I hate places doing that. Lots are doing it where there's no need. Google have been doing it for years.


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## mikeyB (Jul 13, 2020)

I still telephone the surgery for prescriptions which the surgery still tolerates, probably because I live in an area with a higher than average rate of elderly customers. I use online banking exclusively. I do have a password, but access the App on my phone by facial recognition. Works just fine, particularly as banks now allow the paying in of cheques online. And particularly as I have to use a wheelchair.


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## Sally71 (Jul 13, 2020)

How do you pay a cheque in online, don’t you actually have to physically hand the cheque in to the bank?


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## Amity Island (Jul 13, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> How do you pay a cheque in online, don’t you actually have to physically hand the cheque in to the bank?


You can take a picture of the cheque with online banking, if it's under £500. All depends on which bank.


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## Sally71 (Jul 13, 2020)

Wow, you learn something new every day.  What do you do with the cheque after you've taken its picture, just bin it?


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## Amity Island (Jul 13, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> Wow, you learn something new every day.  What do you do with the cheque after you've taken its picture, just bin it?


Usually, just hang onto it until it has cleared, then you can just bin it. You need to be set up for internet banking.


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## grovesy (Jul 13, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> Wow, you learn something new every day.  What do you do with the cheque after you've taken its picture, just bin it?


I think this only started with the Cornavirus.


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 13, 2020)

Last time I got a cheque book was 2004, and I used maybe 5 cheques from it.


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## Drummer (Jul 13, 2020)

Ralph-YK said:


> Is that as in no internet access at all. If you have a computer & internet access you can use that for online banking (using your web browser). I used to only do it that way all the time, and still do part of the time.


They have had internet banking with a little device to give a verification number as required, but that is no longer in use, and as they don't have a smart phone to install the app on, no more internet banking. My sister thinks it is the end of civilisation as they know it as they need to travel some distance to get to a bricks and mortar bank now.


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## silentsquirrel (Jul 13, 2020)

Drummer said:


> They have had internet banking with a little device to give a verification number as required, but that is no longer in use, and as they don't have a smart phone to install the app on, no more internet banking. My sister thinks it is the end of civilisation as they know it as they need to travel some distance to get to a bricks and mortar bank now.


I am still using that system with Barclays - did so today.


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## trophywench (Jul 13, 2020)

The Co-op Bank had a little machine to start with but don't think they use it now.

We SORNed the motorhome at the end of March having only just retaxed it ready for the summer, so we CXD the Tax and despite paying it online they send a cheque for the refund which is still in the envelope on the coffee table, ready for when we're allowed to travel to the nearest branch of the bank in a nearby town to pay the ruddy thing in. Much longer than the end of this month and it'll be invalid.


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## Northerner (Jul 14, 2020)

grovesy said:


> I think this only started with the Cornavirus.


No, it's been around for a while before all this


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## grovesy (Jul 14, 2020)

Northerner said:


> No, it's been around for a while before all this


I did not realize that. 
The cheques I had late last year I paid over the counter at the bank. A firm that wanted to make a payment to me last week asked for my account no and did it by transfer.


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## Ralph-YK (Jul 14, 2020)

Drummer said:


> They have had internet banking with a little device to give a verification number as required, but that is no longer in use,


A calculator like thing, that you slide your card into (Ping it?) (earlier this year I noticed they had new black ones in my bank). I have one of those and it still works.
I used it ~March, then again ~June(?) time as my council tax had changed twice and I was setting up payments.
I believe passwords and pin is still operating


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## Sally71 (Jul 14, 2020)

Maybe it depends which bank you are with, but Nationwide still uses card readers, we have at least 3, and if you lose it or it stops working you can ask them to send you a new one.


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## grovesy (Jul 14, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> Maybe it depends which bank you are with, but Nationwide still uses card readers, we have at least 3, and if you lose it or it stops working you can ask them to send you a new one.


Yes I have accounts with a number of institutions, none have card readers, one has a grid card.


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## trophywench (Jul 14, 2020)

I was with Lloyds and now for dunno, 15 years? Santander, no card readers.


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