Prescriptions

Ordering repeat prescriptions

The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:

  • using your NHS account (through the NHS website or in the NHS App)
  • using the GP online system via the link at the top of this page.

These accounts show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.

You can also:

  • bring the paper form to the surgery, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm

We do not take repeat prescription requests over the telephone.

Collecting your prescription

You can usually collect your prescription from the pharmacy 3 to 5 working days after you have ordered it.

You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.

You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:

  • on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
  • at your GP practice
  • at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions

Electronic prescription service

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is an NHS service. It gives you the chance to change how your GP sends your prescription to the place you choose to get your medicines or appliances from.

What does this mean for you?

You will have more choice about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy near to where you live, work or shop.

For further information on:

  • Choosing a pharmacy or other dispenser
  • Cancelling or changing your choice of pharmacist or dispenser
  • What can I do if I'm unhappy with the process?

Go to Electronic prescriptions .nhs.uk.

Questions about your prescription

If you have questions about your medicine, your local pharmacists can answer these. They can also answer questions on medicines you can buy without a prescription.

The NHS website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.

If you would like to speak to someone at the GP surgery about your prescription:

  • phone our pharmacist after 10am

Medication reviews

If you have a repeat prescription, we may ask you to come in for a regular review. We will be in touch when you need to come in for a review.

Prescription charges

Find out more about prescription charges (nhs.uk).

What to do with old medicines

Take to a pharmacy.  Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.

About pharmacists

As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:

  • coughs
  • colds
  • sore throats
  • tummy trouble
  • aches and pains

They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

Fear of flying (flying phobia) Prescriptions

We no longer prescribe sedative drugs for fear of flying. There are several good reasons why prescribing of drugs such as diazepam is not safe or recommended.

Click here for more information.

Sedatives

We do NOT prescribe sedatives for patients undergoing radiological procedures eg CT scans or MRI scans
Patients often ask if we can prescribe sedatives prior to radiological procedure eg CT scans or MRI scan.

It is NOT safe for GP practices to prescribe sedatives for patients.

Safe and effective analgesia and sedation should be delivered by an appropriately trained and credentialed team with good access to anaesthetics, pre-procedure assessment, sedation plan and checklist, with appropriate monitoring and availability of resuscitation equipment and reversal agents.

Sedation, Analgesia, and anaesthesia in the radiology department, Royal College of Radiologists


Sedated patients should be regularly monitored, and we are aware of a case where a GP-provided sedative was given, the patient not monitored, and subsequently had a respiratory arrest in an MRI machine.

Practices are not required to prescribe this, and we would highlight the following:

Benzodiazepines such at 2mg diazepam are probably sub-therapeutic for most adults for any effective sedation. Conversely anxiolytics can have an idiosyncratic response in patients, and even very small doses can cause increased agitation in some groups of patients.


A patient may take a sedative 'an hour' before their assumed procedure, to then attend the hospital to find their procedure has been delayed, therefore the timing of the anxiolytic being sub optimal.


GPs are not regularly involved, skilled, trained or appraised in sedation skills.
Hospital consultants, both those requesting imaging and those providing it, have access to the same prescribing abilities as GPs. If a patient needs a certain medication to enable an investigation to go ahead, they are best positioned to provide a prescription, either through the hospital pharmacy or a hospital prescription.


The Royal College of Radiologists' own guidelines on sedation for imaging makes no mention of GP involvement or provision of low dose anxiolytics and stresses the importance of experienced well trained staff involved and the monitoring of sedated patients: "Safe and effective analgesia and sedation should be delivered by an appropriately trained and credentialed team with good access to anaesthetics, pre-procedure assessment, sedation plan and checklist, with appropriate monitoring and availability of resuscitation equipment and reversal agents." (see this link for more information).


To help patients avoid situations where they are not adequately sedated for a procedure or are unmonitored due to the procedure team being unaware of consumed sedation provided by general practice, we would decline requests even if the hospital asks to do so for prescribing in those circumstances. Where the referral for imaging is made, it may be useful to highlight that an assessment for support during the procedure by the radiology team may be beneficial on the referral form as well