Full details of this service, including service specification and clinical pathways, are available on the Community Pharmacy England website. Click to access;

For any coaches enquiries please contact Sandie.keall@nhs.net

Onward referral/Local Information

If a patient is seen through the Pharmacy First Service either from a referral from 111 or their GP the patient MUST NOT be told to call 111 or the GP back. This leads to a lack of confidence in the service and poor patient journey.

The service specification states:

Onward referral for an urgent appointment

4.30. There will be times when the pharmacist will need additional advice or will need to escalate the patient to a higher acuity care location (e.g., a GP, UTC or ED).

4.31. The pharmacist should use their clinical judgement to decide the urgency, route and need for referral and then choose one of the options below:

Option A – Refer the patient for an urgent in-hours appointment with their own GP. After agreeing this course of action with the patient, the pharmacist should contact the patient’s general practice to secure them an appointment.
Option B – Call the NHS 111 service when the patient’s own general practice is not available. The pharmacist should call NHS 111 using the healthcare professionals’ line for access to a clinician, to seek advice.
Option C – Signpost the patient to A&E or call 999. If the patient presents with severe symptoms indicating the need for an immediate medical consultation, the pharmacist should tell the patient to attend A&E immediately or call an ambulance on behalf of the patient.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PRN00936-i-Community-pharmacy-advanced-service-specification-NHS-pharmacy-first-service-November-2023.pdf

If Option B is considered as the best option, the contact details of the local 111 Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC) is available on the attached document. If this is not possible call 111 directly and identify yourself as a clinician.

The original referral must be accurately updated with clinical notes of the consultation and the reason for onward referral.

How to escalate a Pharmacy First referral

Tees Valley UTC/OOH contacts (FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY)

Darlington UTC; 01325 743472

Hartlepool UTC; 01642 382702

North tees UTC; 01642 382700

Redcar UTC; 01642 944590

DO NOT SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC, NUMBERS ARE FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY

UTC Contact Details for Pharmacy

How to contact 111 – Print and display for patients

111 emergency supply

If a pharmacy needs to temporarily close, what actions should be taken to manage Pharmacy First referrals?

In the event of a temporary closure, pharmacy owners must ensure the elements of their business continuity plan related to the service are activated and the service is temporarily withdrawn.

They must inform the NHS 111 provider and local IUC CAS of the temporary withdrawal by calling the NHS Directory of Services Provider and Commissioner Helpline (0300 0200 363) as soon as possible to stop referrals being made to the pharmacy.

Notifications of unplanned temporary suspensions of services (closures) can now be made via the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.

GP practices within your primary care network should also be contacted to prevent them from making further direct referrals.

The service commissioner (integrated care board) must also be informed by the pharmacy owner.

necsu.dos@nhs.net

Using NHS Profile Manager to update the DoS

NHS Profile Manager is a self-service tool which allows some service providers to manage and update their own information on the DoS, as well as on the NHS website.