A Local Authority commissioning a public health service must determine whether the service will provide medicines and appliances to patients using FP10 prescriptions.
The Local Authority will be responsible for the cost of FP10 prescriptions issued by the services it commissions.
More information on FP10 prescription forms
NHS Prescription Services can either invoice the Local Authority directly for the cost of the prescriptions, or the Local Authority may agree with the service provider that the provider will receive the invoice.
If the Local Authority is to receive an invoice from NHS Prescription Services, it is set up as the parent of one or more cost centres. The Local Authority will then assign prescribers to these cost centres to enable it to monitor prescribing activity.
If the Local Authority has arranged that the service provider is to receive an invoice from NHS Prescription Services, the service provider will be the parent of one or more cost centres, not the Local Authority. See information for Hospital / Foundation Trusts and ISHPs.
We will not hold a hierarchical relationship between the service provider and the Local Authority on our systems.
Local Authorities are issued with a 3 digit numeric organisation code from the Organisational Data Service (ODS). If your organisation has not been issued with a code, or you are unsure of your code, contact the ODS on their National Helpdesk Exeter by:
Telephone: 01392 251289
Email: exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net.
These procedures only relate to Local Authorities intend to, issue prescriptions that will be dispensed in the community. These forms are processed by us and ultimately recharged to the Local Authority. The subsequent prescribing information will be available on ePACT.
Register for ePACT
If you have any queries on ePACT, contact our Data Services Team by:
Email: dataservicessupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Find out about call charges
A senior authorised signatory within the local authority must inform us if they intend to commission a service where prescriptions are required.
Any additions, deletions or changes to organisational and prescriber data must be sent to us using notification forms sent by email to the Organisational Data Team at prescriptioninformation@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Only notifications submitted by authorised signatories will be accepted. The senior authorised signatory within the local authority is responsible for authorising other signatories.
Notifications sent by individuals who are not nominated authorised signatories for the local authority will not be accepted.
If you need to change any of the organisational or prescriber data held by us, contact an authorised signatory within the local authority, who will be able to submit this on your behalf.
Queries
If a query arises as a result of the information submitted to us, an email will be sent to 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.
For further information contact us by:
Telephone: 0191 203 5112
Email: prescriptioninformation@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
Festive period opening hours
Our opening hours over the festive period are as follows:
- Tuesday 24 December 8am to 4pm
- Wednesday 25 December - Closed
- Thursday 26 December - Closed
- Friday 27 December - Closed
- Saturday 28 December - Closed
- Sunday 29 December - Closed
- Monday 30 December 8am to 4pm
- Tuesday 31 December 8am to 4pm
- Wednesday 1 January - Closed
Normal business hours will resume from 2 January 2025.
Find out about call charges
Notify us about changes
Find the most up to date information and forms relevant to your organisation or prescriber type.
Cost centres within a local authority
An authorised signatory at the Local Authority must advise us of any changes to cost centre information. For example, additions, deletions or a change of address, by using one of the relevant forms listed.
New cost centre
The local authority must advise us when a cost centre is formed as the result of:
- merging 2 or more cost centres
- splitting a cost centre into 2 or more cost centres
- a brand cost centre opening, such as for a new service
New cost centre form (Excel: 59KB)
A new cost centre can only be set up on our 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.
Therefore, you must also send the relevant prescriber notification forms together with the New Cost Centre form.
When this has been actioned, we will notify the authorised signatory of the new cost centre code by email.
Following confirmation of the cost centre code, the Local Authority will be able to order personalised prescription pads from Xerox (UK) Ltd for the new prescribers within the cost centre using the Xerox (UK) Ltd ordering procedure.
Use this form to tell us about changes made to cost centre code information, such as a change of name or address.
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.
If the local authority does not supply information to us in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.
GPs or medical prescribers within a local authority
An authorised signatory at the local authority must advise us of any additions, deletions or changes to doctor details by using the relevant form.Doctor joining a GP practice or cost centre (Excel: 65KB)Change of doctor details (Excel: 57KB)Doctor leaving a cost centre (Excel: 55KB)
Note that if a doctor has been suspended, you should indicate this in the relevant section of the form and provide the date of when the suspension began. If the doctor leaves following suspension a further leaver form will need to be provided.
Application for Doctor's Index Number (DIN)
GPs are issued with a doctor’s index number (DIN), which is used as their prescribing code on prescriptions.
Any changes to employment status must be actioned by the GP or parent organisation via the PCSE online portal prior to submission of DI7 form.DI7 form (Excel: 56KB)This form is for authorised signatory or approved organisation use only.
Doctors or consultants working in hospital units and ISHPs do not use DIN codes. To register a doctor within these organisations, use our spurious code form (Excel: 58KB).
Spurious codes
Spurious doctor codes are issued to local authorities for a number of reasons:
- for a hospital doctor who does not have a DIN Code
- as an additional prescribing code for a GP working in more than one cost centre, in order to monitor prescribing in each cost centre
- as a generic prescribing code where prescribing data is not required at individual prescriber level
A spurious code will only be issued to a GP whose DIN code is already in use at another 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.Spurious code request (Excel: 58KB)Spurious code leaving a GP practice or cost centre (Excel: 54KB)Change of spurious code details (Excel: 55KB)
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 code has been requested, the authorised signatory will be notified by email of the new codes.
Following confirmation of the new codes, the local authority will be able to order personalised prescription pads from Xerox (UK) Ltd for these codes using the Xerox (UK) Ltd ordering procedure.
If the local authority does not supply information to us in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.
Non-medical prescribers within a local authority cost centre
An authorised signatory at the Local Authority must advise us of any additions, deletions or changes to non-medical prescriber (NMP) information by using one of the relevant forms listed:Non-medical prescriber joining a GP practice or cost centre (Excel: 53KB)Non-medical prescriber leaving a GP practice or cost centre (Excel: 55KB)Change of non-medical prescriber details (Excel: 60KB)
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.
Personalised prescription pads from Xerox (UK) Ltd must be ordered using the Xerox (UK) Ltd ordering procedure.
If the Local Authority does not supply information to us in a timely manner, prescription costs may be attributed to an incorrect organisation.
NMP Locums
If a practice only uses paper prescriptions, NMP locums should use the prescriptions of a similarly qualified NMP. The signature on the form can be used to identify the locum who has signed it.
If a practice utilises EPS and has locum NMPs on an ad hoc basis, those NMPs should always be registered even if they are only working at the practice for a short time. This is because the prescriptions could be processed incorrectly if a different prescriber's details are used on the EPS system.
Invoicing details form
Local Authorities are recharged by us on a monthly basis for the prescribing costs (reimbursement) and dispensing fees (remuneration) of the cost centres they're responsible for. Multiple cost centre charges are combined in one invoice.
Complete the Invoicing details form (Excel: 51KB) regarding the invoicing of these charges and return to accountsreceivable@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
