The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013

Additional requirements in relation to specified appliances U.K.

11.—(1) This paragraph sets out the additional requirements referred to in paragraph 9(1)(o) relating to the provision of specified appliances.

(2) An NHS appliance contractor (C) who dispenses specified appliances in the normal course of business must provide a home delivery service in respect of those appliances and, as part of that service—

(a) C must offer to deliver the specified appliance to the patient's home;

(b) if the patient accepts that offer, the delivery must be made with reasonable promptness and at such time as is agreed with the patient;

(c) the specified appliance must be delivered in a package which displays no writing or other markings which could indicate its content; and

(d) the manner of delivery of the package and any supplementary items required by sub-paragraph (3) must not convey the type of appliance being delivered.

(3) In any case where a specified appliance is provided (whether by home delivery or otherwise), C must provide a reasonable supply of appropriate supplementary items (such as disposable wipes and disposal bags) and—

(a) must ensure that the patient may, if the patient wishes, consult a person to obtain expert clinical advice regarding the appliance; or

(b) if C believes it is appropriate to do so, must—

(i) refer the patient to a prescriber; or

(ii) offer the patient an appliance use review service.

(4) If C is unable to provide an appliance use review service in accordance with sub-paragraph (3)(b)(ii), C must give the patient the contact details of at least 2 people who are NHS pharmacists or NHS appliance contractors who are able to arrange for the service to be provided, if these details are known to C.

(5) Where C provides a telephone care line in respect of the dispensing of any specified appliance, C must ensure that during out of hours periods—

(a) advice is made available to patients through that telephone care line; or

(b) [F1 telephone or website contact details for providers of NHS services that may be consulted for advice regarding specified appliances during those periods], are made available to patients through the telephone care line.

(6) For the purposes of this paragraph—

“expert clinical advice”, in relation to a specified appliance, means advice which is given by a person who is suitably trained and who has relevant experience in respect of the appliance;

“out of hours periods”, in relation to the appliance contractor premises, means the periods outside the core opening hours and any supplementary opening hours of the premises.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 5 para. 11(5)(b) substituted (1.4.2014) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/417), regs. 1, 19