GP CPCS in Surrey and Sussex
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) has been extended across England to include referrals from general practices as well as from NHS 111.
Called GP-CPCS it is a new pathway that enables GP practices to refer patients with a minor illness for a same day consultation with a community pharmacist.
When a patient with a minor illness symptom phones the practice requesting an appointment, they can be referred for a private consultation with a community pharmacist and with their consent, an electronic referral message will be sent to their chosen pharmacy.
Upon receiving the referral, the pharmacist can contact the patient by phone, video consultation or arrange for the patient to attend the pharmacy if necessary. The pharmacist may access the patient’s Summary Care Record (see S for summary care record) and ask about current symptoms and medication. Following the consultation, the pharmacist will offer self-care advice and may sell an over the counter product if appropriate.
Where symptoms suggest something more serious, the pharmacist will help the patient to arrange an urgent GP appointment or escalate to another provider if necessary. The pharmacist will record the outcome and send this to the patient’s GP.
The service has been introduced following successful pilots around the country, which shows it to be very popular with patients and practices alike.
Our Sussex, Surrey and Frimley local on-boarding plans involve a lot of engagement and negotiation behind-the-scenes as it is important that local referral pathways are right for both GP and pharmacy teams taking account, for example, of the software both use and if it is compatible.
Thank you for your patience while we work through this locally with CCGs, PCNs and individual GP and community pharmacy teams, who are all working at different speeds across Sussex, Surrey and Frimley.
These locality based updates were published on the dates shown. Click on a heading for more information
Surrey Heartlands is using the EMIS integrated Patient Access CPCS module and PharmRefer for non-EMIS practices. This greatly enhances the referral process for GP practice staff and fully integrates with the Community Pharmacy PharmOutcomes system. GP CPCS referrals will be received at the pharmacy by the same route as NHS 111 CPCS referrals are. The link here shows the status for each PCN.
More information
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- For a copy of the PCN GP CPCS Local Protocol and information on the Footfall links for sending non-urgent messages to the GP practices in Surrey – please e-mail gpcpcs@communitypharmacy.co.uk with the details of your PCN.
- Here is a video demonstration of the EMIS integrated system
- Find out about Surrey Heartlands early adopter sites and GP CPCS outline timeline – note these are subject to change depending on the learns from the first go live site
- To further support training in the service, this Virtual Outcomes training module for community pharmacies is available free-of-charge. Pharmacies will need to enter their most up-to-date F-code here to select then access the course.
Frimley ICS has started to go live with the GP CPCS service
Frimley is using the EMIS integrated Patient Access CPCS module and PharmRefer for non-EMIS practices. This greatly enhances the referral process for GP practice staff and fully integrates with the Community Pharmacy PharmOutcomes system. GP CPCS referrals will be received at the pharmacy by the same route as NHS 111 CPCS referrals are.
Surrey Heath PCN sites now live are:
- Camberley Health Centre
- Station Road Surgery
More information
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- Here is a video demonstration of the EMIS integrated system
- To further support training in the service, this Virtual Outcomes training module for community pharmacies is available free-of-charge. Pharmacies will need to enter their most up-to-date F-code here to select then access the course.
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Sussex is using the EMIS integrated Patient Access CPCS module and PharmRefer for non-EMIS practices. This greatly enhances the referral process for GP practice staff and fully integrates with the Community Pharmacy PharmOutcomes system. GP CPCS referrals will be received at the pharmacy by the same route as NHS 111 CPCS referrals are.
The following surgeries have already gone live with referrals, with the practices highlighted in red due to go live shortly:
East Sussex
- The Foundry, Lewes
- Manor Park Medical, Polegate
- Harold Road, Hastings
- Seaside Medical, Eastbourne
- Carisbrooke, Hastings
- Park Practice, Eastbourne
- Downlands Medical, Polegate
- Lighthouse Medical, Eastbourne
- Victoria Medical, Eastbourne
- Rotherfield, Crowborough
- Arlington Road, Eastbourne
- Sidley, Bexhill
- Mid-Downs Medical, Newick
- Grove Road, Eastbourne
West Sussex
- Langley Corner, Crawley
- Bridge Medical, Crawley
- Southgate Medical, Crawley
- Leacroft Medical, Crawley
- Modality Group, Mid Sussex
- Newtons, Haywards Health
- Northlands Wood, Haywards Heath
- Ardur Health Partnership, Shoreham & Southwick
- Dolphins, Haywards Heath
- The Coppice, Rustington
- Fitzalan Medical, Littlehampton
- The Barn Surgery, Ferring
- The Witterings Health Centre, Chichester
- Broadwater Medical, Worthing
- Victoria Road, Worthing
- St Lawrence, Worthing
- Rudgwick Medical, Horsham
- Pound Hill Medical, Crawley
- Lavant Road, Chichester
- Holbrook, Horsham
- Park Surgery, Horsham
- Riverside, Horsham
- Orchard, Horsham
- Worthing Medical Group, Worthing
- The Strand, Goring
Brighton & Hove
- Hove Medical, Hove
- Portslade Health Centre, Portslade
- Brighton Health & Wellbeing, Brighton
- Mile Oak, Brighton
- Broadway, Brighton
- Peter’s Medical, Brighton
- Ardingly Court, Brighton
- School House, Brighton
- Wish Park, Hove
- Benfield Valley Healthcare, Hove
- Links Road, Hove
More information
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- Here is a video demonstration of the EMIS integrated system
- To further support training in the service, this Virtual Outcomes training module for community pharmacies is available free-of-charge. Pharmacies will need to enter their most up-to-date F-code here to select then access the course.
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Further updates will be posted as our three local implementation projects move forward and there is more news to tell.
Putting national policy into local practice in Surrey and Sussex
This local update was posted on 28 April 2021.
A national service specification has been created but the implementation details have been left open for local customisation. Work is underway across Surrey and Sussex to achieve this as soon as is reasonably practical.
In our local video briefing below, CEO Julia Powell sets out the background to our three local implementation projects across Sussex, Surrey and Frimley. The video is a recording of a webinar held on 21 April 2021 which over 140 Surrey and Sussex pharmacy contractors booked to attend.
More information for all pharmacies in England
- Advanced Service Specification – NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (published March 2021)
- PSNC information hub about Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) and the GP referral pathway
- CPCS resources for pharmacy teams
- GP referral pathway to the CPCS – Action Plan template for pharmacy teams(PDF)
More information for pharmacies in Sussex and Surrey
- LPC bespoke support bulletin (sent 28 April 2021)
- Slides used in our GP CPCS webinar 20th Apr 2021
