Authorised signatories within Clinical Commissioning Groups or an agency representing the CCG must inform NHS Prescription Services of additions/deletions or changes to GP practices, cost centres and prescribers within their organisation
You must notify NHS Prescription Services of additions, deletions and changes to organisational and prescriber data using notification forms sent by emailing nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
Queries
If we have any queries, we’ll email the original sender of the notification. No changes can be made to our systems until we receive a satisfactory response to the query. More complex queries can be discussed by telephone, but must always be followed up with written confirmation of the action agreed.
Accepting notifications
Only notifications submitted by authorised signatories will be accepted. The senior authorised signatory within the CCG is responsible for authorising other signatories. Notifications sent by individuals who are not nominated authorised signatories for the CCG will not be accepted.
Changing data
If you need to change any organisational or prescriber data held by NHS Prescription Services for your organisation, please contact an authorised signatory within the CCG who will be able to submit this on your behalf.
Notify us about changes
Find the most up to date information and forms relevant to your organisation or prescriber type.
GP practices or Cost Centres
An authorised signatory at the CCG, or an agency on their behalf, must advise NHS Prescription Services of any GP practice/cost centre additions/deletions or changes (i.e. change of address) by using one of the relevant proformas listed below.
New GP Practice or Cost Centre
New cost centre within an ISHP
A new GP Practice or Cost Centre is formed as the result of:
- merging two or more practices
- splitting a practice into two or more practices
- a brand new practice/cost centre opening
Please note that a relevant prescribing budget (per annum) and patient list size (per quarter) must be assigned to a new GP practice or cost centre within a CCG. These can be nominal figures and, in the respect of a new service/clinic (where patients may be registered elsewhere), we advise that the patient list size does not exceed 100 patients per quarter.
In respect of new cost centres for a Walk in Centre (WIC) or Out of Hours Service (OOH) a prescribing budget and patient list size is not mandatory (for WICs nominal figures can be given, but are not a requirement for OOHs). The acronym ‘WIC’ or ‘OOH’ must be added to a generic prescribing name (if applicable) and/or address so that it will be printed on prescriptions and identifiable to NHS Prescription Services. Note: this allows us to highlight these forms appropriately to the NHS website and ODS (Organisational Data Service, part of NHS Digital)
A new cost centre can only be set up on NHS Prescription Services systems if either a named Doctor, a generically named spurious code or one or more non-medical prescribers are also added at the same time. As such, you must also complete and send the relevant notification form together with the one above (omitting Practice Code field only.)
Once actioned, the authorised signatory will be notified by email of the new GP Practice/Cost Centre code.
Following confirmation of the GP practice/Cost Centre code the CCG will be able to order personalised prescription pads.Primary Care support England (PCSE) are now placing orders on behalf of GP practices, NHS Dentists and Private CD prescribers in place of NHS England Area Teams. This service is managed on behalf of NHS England by Capita and the contact details of the service are 0333 014 2884, pcse.enquiries@nhs.net. The website of the service is http://pcse.england.nhs.uk/supplies/.
Changes to GP practice or cost centre code information (i.e. change of address)
Please use the relevant proforma:
The new or updated information will be sent to Xerox (UK) Ltd and any replacement pads will bear the new or updated information, where applicable.
GP Practice or Cost Centre merge
The completed proforma(s) should then be emailed to nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
Closure of a GP practice or cost centre
When a GP practice or cost centre has closed, please complete the applicable proforma:
Where applicable and together with the proforma, please give details of the relocation of registered patients (i.e. which GP practice they have transferred to).
The completed proforma(s) should then be emailed to nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
If a query arises as a result of the information submitted to NHS Prescription Services, an email will be sent to the original sender of the notification. No changes can be made to NHS Prescription Services systems until we receive a satisfactory response to the query. More complex queries can be discussed by telephone, but must always be followed up with written confirmation of the action agreed.
For further information please contact 0191 2035112 or nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
If the CCG does not supply information to NHS Prescription Services in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.
GPs
GPs within a CCG
An authorised signatory at the CCG, or an agency on their behalf, must advise NHS Prescription Services of any GP additions/deletions or changes to GP information (i.e. change of surname) by using one of the relevant proformas listed below.
Doctor joining a GP practice or cost centre within a CCG
GPs are issued with a doctor’s index number (DIN), which is used as their prescribing code on prescriptions.
To request a GP Prescribing code or Doctors Index Number (DIN), please contact your local NHS Area Team. Contact details for your Area Team can be found via the search function on the Performers List Website: https://www.performer.england.nhs.uk/AT/SearchByPostcode.
Doctor leaving a GP practice or cost centre within a CCG
Change of doctor details
Spurious codes
Spurious GP codes are used for a variety of reasons, including:
- a locum doctor working in a practice where the GP has resigned, normally single-handed practices
- special exercises, projects or initiatives running in the CCG and funded from the CCG prescribing budget (i.e. Dermatology Centres, Hospices, etc.) where prescribing data is not required at individual prescriber level
- as an additional prescribing code for a GP working in more than one practice/cost centre, in order to monitor prescribing in each practice/cost centre
A spurious code will only be issued to GPs whose DIN code is already in use at another practice/cost centre, or for hospital doctors who are not issued with a DIN code. Locum doctors should use the prescribing code of the doctor for whom they are providing locum services unless there are no GPs left in the practice/cost centre.
If a spurious code is required, please complete the following proforma:
If a spurious code is to be ended or is leaving a practice/cost centre please complete the following proforma:
Spurious code leaving a GP Practice or Cost Centre
For change of details of a spurious code please complete the following proforma:
Change of Spurious code details
Pooled list code
A pooled list code is issued to a GP practice for the purpose of holding the practice’s patient list against one central code. This code is not a prescribing code and should never appear on prescriptions.
The pooled list code should not be used to hold patients in abeyance (when a GP leaves and the patients are waiting to be assigned to a new GP). Abeyance codes are issued by the ODS (part of NHS Digital) – please contact their National Helpdesk Exeter on 01392 251289 or email exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net if you require an abeyance code. Please note that abeyance codes are not held on NHS Prescription Services’ systems and must not appear on prescriptions as a prescribing code.
If a pooled list code is required, please complete the following proforma:
Pooled List code for a GP Practice
Completed proforma(s) should then be emailed to nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
If a query arises as a result of the information submitted to NHS Prescription Services, an email will be sent by email to the original sender of the notification. No changes can be made to NHS Prescription Services systems until we receive a satisfactory response to the query. More complex queries can be discussed by telephone, but must always be followed up with written confirmation of the action agreed.
For further information please contact 0191 203 5112 or nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net.
Once actioned, the new or updated information will be sent to Xerox (UK) Ltd and any replacement pads will bear the new or updated information, where applicable.
Where a spurious and/or pooled list code has been requested, the authorised signatory will be notified of the new code(s) by email.
Following confirmation of the new code(s), the CCG will be able to order personalised prescription pads. Primary Care Support England (PCSE) are now placing orders on behalf of GP Practices, NHS Dentists and Private CD prescribers in place of NHS England Area Teams. This service is managed on behalf of NHS England by Capita and the contact details of the service are 0333 014 2884, pcse.enquiries@nhs.net. The website of the service is http://pcse.england.nhs.uk/supplies/.
If the CCG does not supply information to NHS Prescription Services in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.
Non-medical prescribers
An authorised signatory at the CCG, or an agency on their behalf, must advise NHS Prescription Services of any non-medical prescriber (NMP) additions/deletions or changes to NMP information (i.e. change of surname) by using one of the relevant proformas listed below:
Non-medical prescriber joining a GP Practice or cost centreNon-medical prescriber leaving a GP Practice or cost centreChange of non-medical prescriber details
The completed proforma(s) should then be emailed to nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
If a query arises as a result of the information submitted to NHS Prescription Services, an email will be sent to the original sender of the notification. No changes can be made to NHS Prescription Services systems until we receive a satisfactory response to the query. More complex queries can be discussed by telephone, but must always be followed up with written confirmation of the action agreed.
For further information please contact 0191 203 5112 or nhsbsa.prescriptioninformation@nhs.net
Once actioned, the new or updated information will be sent to Xerox (UK) Ltd and any replacement pads will bear the new or updated information, where applicable.
Primary Care Support England (PCSE) are placing orders for NMPs. If this is the case for your organisation, this service is managed on behalf of NHS England by Capita and the contact details of the service are 0333 014 2884, pcse.enquiries@nhs.net. The website of the service is http://pcse.england.nhs.uk/supplies/.
Alternatively if not as above, personalised prescription pads from Xerox (UK) Ltd must be ordered using the Xerox (UK) Ltd ordering procedure.
If the CCG does not supply information to NHS Prescription Services in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.