Nomination terms - Patient Choice Delivery

Who is Patient Choice?

Patient Choice is a Dispensing Appliance Contractor (DAC), similar to a pharmacy, but we dispense appliances and medical devices on prescription for the NHS rather than medication. We deliver them to your home, and home delivery is available to anyone resident in the UK.

We work in specialist areas of healthcare, delivering medical products to patients’ homes discreetly and quickly. We aim to make a positive difference to all those who engage with us.

When you nominate Patient Choice as your Dispensing Appliance Contractor and are registered with us, we can deliver new or repeat prescriptions to you.

We’ll obtain a prescription from your GP.
We’ll despatch your garments in discreet packaging directly to your door.

You can also contact us to discuss any special requirements you have.

Electronic Prescription Service

Your healthcare professional can send your prescription electronically to us at Patient Choice, helping reduce our delivery time to you. They’ll use the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) (England only), which is an NHS Service that most GP surgeries now use.

We’ll receive a prescription request from your clinician/GP. You may still need to request your next prescription or have a consultation with your healthcare professional to ensure your prescription is still required.

Once requested, and we are nominated, your prescription goes straight to Patient Choice each time it is issued. This means you can be confident that what you need will arrive quickly, and we do not have to wait for your prescription to arrive in the post.

To find out more about EPS download our Electronic Prescription Services leaflet.

Patient records & repeat dispensing

We keep a record of the items we dispense to you. This means we can dispense NHS repeat prescriptions.

We request the prescription on your behalf (from your doctor/prescriber, direct from the surgery) to ensure you always have the correct garments. In some cases this may be a monthly supply of items, or perhaps a six monthly replacement. If you’re in any doubt, ask us about repeat prescriptions and six month orders.

How long will an order take?

Once you place an order with us we’ll aim to deliver your item(s) within 7 days. [For lymphoedema prescriptions we’ll aim to deliver a ready to wear (RTW) garment in seven days, and a made to measure (MTM) garment in around 14 days.]

This is subject to the item(s) being available from the manufacturers. We also keep a huge range in stock for immediate despatch once we receive your prescription. As soon as your items arrive with us, they will be packed and despatched straight away. If there is likely to be a delay with your order, we’ll keep you updated.

How much do our services cost?

There is no extra charge to have your garments or devices delivered to your home by Patient Choice.

You’ll pay the standard NHS prescription charge unless you get free prescriptions (exempt). You can check if you are exempt using the NHS eligibility checker www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check

If you are not entitled to free prescriptions then a prepayment certificate may save you money. You’ll find more information here: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ help-nhs-prescription-costs If you usually pay for your prescriptions, you can contact us to discuss your payment options.

Information held by Patient Choice

We need to keep records about you. It allows us to:
provide a professional, safe and efficient service.
to complete the necessary tasks related to what you need.

The information we keep may include:

personal details, such as date of birth, address, phone number and email address.
records of products prescribed by your doctor or another qualified prescriber.
details relating to health and medical treatment, and customisation details.
referrals to other healthcare professionals.

Information we will share

For us to be able to deliver our service, we may share your information with:

suppliers of the products you need.
suppliers of sample products.
your GP regarding your prescription.
nurses and other clinical staff.

We will not share the information we hold about you for any
other reason, unless:

you ask us to do so.
we ask you for specific verbal or written permission.
we are required or permitted by law – for example where public interest outweighs the need to keep the information confidential.

Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal duty to keep this information confidential. There may be recognised exceptions to this, as listed above.

Your rights

You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1998, UK GDPR, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Common Law duty of confidence. (The Disability Discrimination and the Race Relations Acts may also apply).

We also comply with the NHS Code of Practice on Confidentiality and have a requirement under their code to keep records about you confidential, secure, and accurate.

All our staff contracts of employment contain a requirement to keep patient information confidential. Any staff who can access your data have annual training in their responsibilities in this area. Only staff who have a reason to access your records are allowed access. We have detailed Security, Access and Confidentiality Polices for such matters.

Your right to view your health record

You have the right to ask for a copy of records about you.

You must make a request in writing to Patient Choice.
We are required to respond to your request within 40 days.
You will need to give us adequate information to identify you (for example, full name, address, and date of
birth).

You will need to provide photo ID (for example a passport or full driving license) before any information is released to you.

If you think any information we hold on you is inaccurate or incorrect, please let us know.