NHS Highland
Community Pharmacy Sevices
John Dewar Building
Highlander Way
Inverness, IV2 7GE
01463 706809
01463 713844
Textphone users can contact us via
Typetalk: Tel 0800 959598
www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nhshighland/
To all NHS Highland Community Pharmacy
Oxygen Contractors
Date:
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
11 January 2013
MVM
Enquiries to:
Extension:
Direct Line:
Email:
Mary Morton
Ext 6809
01463 706809
[email protected]
Dear Colleague
Changes to Domiciliary Oxygen Arrangements February 2013
NHS Highland contacted community pharmacists in August 2012 to give them an update on the
move to supplying oxygen through a national contract with Dolby Vivisol. At that point there were a
number of unanswered questions in relation to the switch over. Community Pharmacy Scotland
and NHS Scotland have agreed on the final details of remuneration in relation to cylinder
reconciliation and headsets. Community pharmacies in NHS Highland should have received a
letter from Community Pharmacy Scotland and BOC outlining the main issues and the agreement
reached.
Under the headings below we have covered the content of the agreement and, in addition, a range
of information for community pharmacists to allow a smooth transition for all parties concerned.
We can now confirm that the start of the changeover of NHS Highland will commence at the
beginning of February 2013. Dolby Vivisol will start from this time to visit identified patients, and
move them to the national service. This will be done by geographic area and a copy of the
timetable will be circulated in the near future, once this has been agreed by NHS Highland and
Dolby Vivisol. All identified patients have been given a copy of a leaflet to explain the change (see
attached example).
Dolby Vivisol has a list of patients identified through a variety of searches. There may,
however, be patients who have not been identified for a number of reasons. To assist with
this it is vital that community pharmacists have a list of all of their current patients
including address and any other contact details to check against the information held by
Dolby Vivisol. The transition process below highlights that Dolby Vivisol will phone
pharmacies to check the completeness of the information they hold on the oxygen patients
of each pharmacy.
No final date for community pharmacists to cease providing the service has been set. We have
agreed with the Highland Pharmacy Contractors Committee that pharmacists should continue to
dispense oxygen to ensure continuity of care during the transition to the national service.
Contractors are recommended to keep their BOC account open to facilitate the transition, including
the return of any oxygen equipment no longer required.
Headquarters: Assynt House, Beechwood Park, INVERNESS IV2
3BW
Chair: Garry Coutts
Chief Executive: Elaine Mead
Transition Process
Community pharmacists are asked to continue to supply oxygen to their patients until Dolby Vivisol
provide confirmation that they have taken over this responsibility.
Initially Dolby Vivisol will:



Contact community pharmacies to confirm they have the details of all their patients
Provide you with a unique “Oxyref” reference number for each patient.
Confirm the supplying community pharmacy when they visit each patient.
Community pharmacists will be offered the opportunity to attend the initial visit to each patient if
they so wish. If you are aware of any cylinders held outwith the patient’s home then it would be
helpful to communicate this to Dolby Vivisol.
Following a visit by Dolby Vivisol, they will



Document what cylinders are in the patients’ home on a “Transfer of Cylinders” document.
Confirm this with the supplying pharmacist in addition to confirming they have taken over
responsibility for the oxygen supply to the patient.
Provide BOC with information on the BOC cylinders, who in turn will then transfer them to
the Dolby Vivisol account. BOC will then confirm these details with the community
pharmacy.
Community pharmacists will be responsible for recovery of cylinders from lapsed or
historic patients and to return any cylinders to BOC through the normal channel.
Community pharmacists are asked to manage ordering of cylinders in an efficient way over the
transition period until Dolby Vivisol take over supply to the patients. Contractors will not be
penalised financially for ensuring continuity of supply and the details below confirm those
arrangements.
Cylinder Reconciliation
Negotiations between NHS, CPS and BOC mean that community pharmacy oxygen contractors
are not liable for any cylinders that have been lost whilst providing this service. BOC will continue
to charge community pharmacists for lost” or “missing” cylinders for a two month period following
formal completion of the oxygen transfer process. This two month period will commence once
Health Facilities Scotland has declared the transfer process “complete”. This will allow BOC time
to recover cylinders and get them back into their system. After this time, the national agreement
will kick in and BOC will assume responsibility for all lost cylinders. We will try to provide oxygen
contractors with advance notice of this date.
Headsets
Negotiations between NHS, CPS and BOC mean that community pharmacy oxygen contractors
will not be recompensed for any “in service” headsets. This agreement is balanced by that, above,
for lost oxygen cylinders.
Full cylinders held in pharmacies
When all your patients have transferred to the new service you should arrange for BOC to uplift
both full and empty cylinders. BOC should be advised what cylinders are full and this will be
recorded on their collection note. Community pharmacists should send a copy of the collection
note and the attached claim form to Community Pharmacy Services at the above address once
the final uplift by BOC has taken place and payment for the full cylinders will be made. Health
Facilities Scotland will confirm to the Board that the transition is “complete” but there is no firm date
available for this at the moment.
Empty cylinders held in pharmacies
These should be returned to BOC as normal.
Part dispensed prescriptions held in pharmacies
At the point where community pharmacists cease to provide the service, there may be some
prescriptions that have not been fully dispensed. Contractors should clearly endorse the
prescription with the number of cylinders that have been supplied and submit the prescriptions to
PSD along with their next uplift. Payment will be made in the usual way for part dispensed
prescriptions.
Cylinders held in GP practices
GP practices have been informed of the changes. Those holding oxygen cylinders supplied by
community pharmacies are being asked to ensure these are returned or uplifted by the community
pharmacy. GPs will be responsible for arranging for the supply of their own emergency oxygen but
this may take a few weeks and is another reason community pharmacists are being asked to
continue providing oxygen until a later date.
Date to cease dispensing
We will contact you when an agreement on that date has been reached.
We have tried to cover all issues that community pharmacists providing domiciliary oxygen service
need to know. This letter has been sent to all community pharmacies to make them aware of the
changeover in case they are approached by patients or healthcare professionals for information. If
you have any queries of a contractual nature please contact me or the NHS Highland Community
Pharmacy Services team.
Yours sincerely
Mary V Morton
Head of Community Pharmaceutical Services
Important please complete and return the slip overleaf to acknowledge receipt of this letter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I have read and understood the Changes to Domiciliary Oxygen Arrangements letter of
11 January 2013.
Name...................................................................................................................................................
Position………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Signature………………………………………………………………
.
Date…………………………
Please return to:
Aileen Trappitt,
Pharmacy Admin Assistant,
NHS Highland,
John Dewar Building,
Inverness Retail & Business Park,
Highlander Way,
INVERNESS
IV2 7GE
Fax: 01463 713844
Please complete and return by MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2013