Shropshire patients asked to plan ahead when ordering prescriptions this Christmas

The Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) team will be available for patients to order any repeat prescriptions until 4pm on Christmas Eve and will reopen on Wednesday, December 29.

The team will be available between 8am and 5pm from December 29 to 31, then returning to regular service on January 4.

Patients are asked to be aware that there is likely to be a backlog of emails during the Christmas week, so residents should allow 48 hours for the team to receive and reply to email requests.

Stephanie Munro, POD service manager at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “If you have a regular prescription requirement, we are currently able to allow 10 days between order and collection.

"This helps GP practices and pharmacies to ensure prescriptions are authorised and dispensed safely and efficiently.”

As the NHS faces its busiest winter, the CCG is also reminding patients that pharmacists and pharmacy staff can help with many minor health concerns and are available to discuss symptoms.

Stephanie added: “Many pharmacies offer a ‘common ailments service’ and are able to provide some medicines free of charge for a range of conditions, such as sore throats, indigestion, constipation and diarrhoea, without needing to see a doctor.

“You can also check symptoms online quickly and easily on the NHS 111 website.

"It has lots of advice for common illnesses, so should be your first choice when accessing healthcare for non-urgent reasons.

“It’s also a good idea to make sure your medicine cabinet and first aid kit are fully stocked as you may well be able to manage minor conditions without even leaving your home.”

Patients can contact the POD phone and email service at Shropshire POD: 03333 583 509 (shropshire.pod@nhs.net) and Telford and Wrekin POD: 01952 580 350 (tw.pod@nhs.net).

For more information on the service, visit the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin CCG website.