Brian Thomas, of Abbotskerswell, writes:

My GP surgery, along with ­others in the South Devon and Torbay area, is planning to change its prescription service from September 1 to prevent direct third-party involvement, including that of pharmacies.

This is allegedly to reduce ‘the amount of wasted medication which is ­dispensed to patients and not used’.

Though this is a commendable waste-saving idea at face value, the changes set out in a letter re-introduce a slow, disruptive and time-wasting prescription service that was replaced by a swift and efficient pharmacy-direct service a few years ago.

Instead of dealing directly with a more centrally-located pharmacy that dispenses prescriptions in one transaction – immediately, whenever they are due to be renewed – the patient will now have to request a prescription themselves, go to their surgery to get their prescription slip, which takes ‘at least 2 working days to provide’, and then take it to the chosen pharmacy, which ‘will need 3-5 days after receiving the prescription to order and assemble it for collection’, the letter states.

In my case, and I am sure in the case of many older and elderly clients, this will mean both ­unnecessary delays in accessing medication and extra trips to ­less-accessible surgeries than one-stop-shop town centre ­pharmacies.

Whose bright idea was it to make this already efficient system so cumbersome once again, apparently ‘to improve safety and efficiency’? It seems to be ‘the Patient Experience Team at South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group’, whoever they are.

True, one can post a prescription to the surgery (more delay) or order one from your surgery online, though this will still take the two/three-five waiting days.

To sign up to go on-line you need to access Systmonline, which requires you to send an ID photo of yourself along with your personal details.

That’s fine, up to a point. However, you are placing personal information and facial recognition on an NHS computer system that has been regularly accessed unlawfully and to be linked to that, and with a required photo ID as well, provides an open invitation to professional hackers who may not have your best interests in mind.

I am also concerned that the ­letter, received by me on August 5, announces this change without any apparent patient consultation and less than four weeks before the ‘revised’ system is introduced.

A final point about the way this surgery letter has been worded. The surgery is, in tandem, seeking permission to share your medical data with ‘other NHS professionals’ and there is a form to fill in where you have the choice of ‘Express Consent’ or ‘Express Dissent’ on this issue (no simple yes or no here!). However, if you decide not to approve you have to ‘fully accept the risks associated with this decision’, which could have been less ominously stated.