IT and EPS contingency planning

Published on: 16th July 2013 | Updated on: 27th September 2022

Business continuity resources are found at our Business continuity hub and the emergency and business continuity and template planning page. IT/EPS-specific additional resources and some suggested actions include the below. This website section has continued to be updated in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Temporary closure checklist

Broader IT/EPS planning

Technical failure, outages, live status, and systems

Updating opening hours on Directory of Services (DoS) and NHS website

For information about updating hours at DoS and NHS website see:

Working with EPS prescriptions and tokens

When EPS prescriptions cannot be obtained

The EPS troubleshooting factsheet sets out options for those situations when an EPS prescription cannot be resolved. The guide explains these are “in no particular order and professional judgment required to ascertain urgency and best option for the patient”.

  • Patient to return to the pharmacy at a later time (if script not required immediately).
  • Deliver prescriptions to patient when systems are resumed.
  • Emergency supply at the request of the prescriber.
  • Paper FP10 prescriptions printed by arrangement with the GP surgery.
  • Referral to another pharmacy (not suitable for some scenarios).

Reporting IT/EPS

NHSmail/SCR/Smartcards

Top tips

  • Ensure team members have Smartcards set-up with the appropriate roles and ODS codes on them (multi-site where needed) and NHSmail personal accounts that link to the pharmacy shared NHSmail mailbox.
  • Review the webpages within this website section to support your IT contingency efforts.
  • Sign-up to receive Spine EPS and NHS IT alerts so that you can receive an email or text when there are national EPS problems.
  • Favourite and use the EPS and NHS IT service status checker webpage to check if NHS IT issues relate to national or system issues.
  • Sign-up for Priority Services Register (PSR) for priority to utilities access in event of problems.

Other resources

 

 

Return to the IT section: EPS home

Return to the Pharmacy IT hub or IT a-z index

 

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