November 7th 2019
Trusts receive £26m for electronic prescription service
25 trusts will receive a share of the funding to aid hospitals in upgrading paper prescription systems, health bosses have announced
‘Electronic prescriptions in our hospitals will not only do away with old fashioned paper prescriptions but can help prevent avoidable and potentially catastrophic medication errors.
‘As part of our long term plan for the NHS we’re committed to giving our hardworking staff access to modern systems which save them valuable time and make every penny of taxpayers’ money count.
‘Following the previous funding announcement, I’m delighted to confirm the funding allocations for these 25 trusts as part of our mission to upgrade NHS hospitals with modern technology so patients get the best and safest care possible.’
Last month health bosses announced plans to digitise all prescription orders in England, starting this month (November). The spokesman said almost 70% of all prescriptions are already being prescribed and dispensed through EPS and, following positive feedback from GPs and pharmacies, health bosses had decided to roll EPS out nationally.
‘The government’s announcement of its new electronic prescription service is alarmingly light on detail about what it will mean for patients. Will patients still be given the name of the medicine they are being prescribed in writing, for instance?
‘The pilot scheme apparently received positive feedback from pharmacies and GPs, but what about patients – were they even asked for their views? We can’t identify any evaluation of the pilot scheme from the patient’s perspective.
‘Until we have more detail, we are concerned that this is another change that has been designed to suit the system and those who work in it, with no consideration for patients, who should be the top priority.’
Photo Credit – Pixabay