Update

30 December 2009

News Flash as from the 16th December the Government has abandoned its plans to stop dispensing by Doctors. Over eighty thousand people responded to the governments consultation the result is that all the practices will continue to dispense.

28 November 2008

The following statement has been issued by Doctors Houlton, Woodcock, Goss and Mitchinson of Loxwood Medical Practice in relation to an application to Primary Care Support Services to convert Loxwood Medical Practice Dispensary into a pharmacy.

"It is with regret that we must announce the rejection of our recent application to the PCSS to convert our dispensary into a pharmacy. We therefore, have had to postpone our planning application to extend the building.

However, this rejection not only prevents further application from us for the next 5 years, but also an application from any pharmacy business. Therefore, this rule has afforded the practice protection from pharmacies who may wish to open in the village. If this had occurred, we would have had to reduce the number of doctors at the practice or possibly even face closure in the longer term.

The practice plans to reapply in 5 years time or in the interim period if the law is changed."

Issue

Mrs Seeking Information of Shillinglee, who has just been to the Surgery at Chiddingfold, has contacted Parish UpDate asking - "Is it true that I might not be able to get my prescription from the doctors anymore?"

Parish UpDate has investigated

On 3rd April this year, the Government issued their White Paper – ‘Pharmacy in England – Building on Strengths, Delivering the Future’. Like most Government documents, this 141 page document, of which Section 8 is the most relevant section, is not the most easiest of things to read. This is a more simplified statement.

Chiddingfold Surgery has told Parish UpDate that for a patient to be a ‘dispensing patient’ they have to live more than one mile away from a pharmacy. If they do, then the Surgery can dispense to that patient. Currently, a high proportion of patients are not dispensing patients because they live in Chiddingfold itself, which has a chemist in the village. Patients from Plaistow and elsewhere are able to get their prescriptions from the Surgery at the moment.

The White Paper is offering four options – Option 1 is the only option which is offering no change to the current system; Options 2, 3 and 4 could all result in the loss of the dispensing service at Chiddingfold Surgery.

The impact on this would be two-fold. Firstly, that Plaistow and Ifold Parish residents who use Chiddingfold Surgery would have to get their prescriptions from a chemist; and secondly, that the loss of the dispensing service would have a huge financial loss on the Practice, which could result in the loss of services.

Loxwood Surgery is in a similar position. The loss of the dispensing service could result in staff cuts and subsequent loss of services. They have, however, made an application to become a Pharmacy, rather than remain dispensing doctors. Parish UpDate has been told that, if the application Is successful, there may be limited availability in the range of the ‘over the counter’ medicinal items that are sold, but they would not become a retail chemist outlet.

The Dispensing Doctors Association lists the potential effects on patient services as being

• Reduced patient choice – 95% of dispensing patients think it would be difficult or inconvenient if their doctor was no longer able to dispense to them
• Disproportionate impact on the disabled and the elderly
• Loss of integrated medical services and possible surgery closures in rural areas
• Staff redundancies

If readers feel they want to be heard on this issue you can

• Respond to the consultation by 20th November 2008 by downloading a Consultation form
• Writing to the Department of Heath at Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS
• Contacting your MP by letter or phone at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or on 020 7219 2494.