Prescription Factsheet: Information on the supply of Appliances for Patients

The  Healthcare sector is working with Government and others on plans to ensure that the supply of medical devices is maintained after the UK exits the EU, including in a no deal scenario.

Patients and Healthcare Professionals have been asked by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to order their appliances as they usually would. DHSC says that you do no need to order any more appliances that you normally need.

We are confident that the manufacturers of your appliances have taken steps to increase the stock holding in the UK, which means we do not envisage any issues in obtaining your products.

What can you do to help?

There are a few things that you can do to help:

• Order any appliances that you need from us in good time (but no more than 10-14 days before they are due)
• Only order the appliances that you need. If you have unused appliances in your cupboard, please use these first (remember to check the expiry date) and do not order extra appliances, only those that you need
• The Government has asked people not to order extra supplies in the run up to Brexit on the 29th March
• They have also asked dispensing contactors not to stockpile appliances and GPs or nurses not to prescribe more appliances than they usually would. This is because overprescribing, overordering or stockpiling appliances could create shortages for others