Quality Payments – NHS 111 Directory of Services

The value of this quality criterion is as follows:

Number of review points at which it can be claimed	Two
Points at any one review point	2.5
Total points over the two review points	5
Value of total points	£320

The Directory of Services (DoS) is a central directory which provides NHS 111 call handlers with real time information about services available to support a particular patient. Pharmacies are included in the DoS and it is important to the efficient working of NHS 111 and some other urgent care providers that information on pharmacy services is accurate in order to allow patients to be appropriately referred to community pharmacies.

The DoS is not publicly available, as it contains information such as private telephone numbers for use by healthcare professionals, but some pharmacies can already access DoS (via a web-based system called MiDoS) and can therefore check their DoS entry is accurate. NHS Digital is currently finalising the development of the Mobile Directory, which is designed to allow real time access to the DoS via a web browser or mobile device (such as a mobile phone or tablet). It is likely that this will be the route by which most pharmacies will be able to check their DoS entry.

For NHS 111 to refer patients appropriately to community pharmacies it is critical that they have access to accurate information about pharmacies, their location, opening hours, and services provided. The aim of this quality criterion is to enable pharmacy contractors, for the first time, to view their NHS 111 DoS demographic profile and to provide corrections to that information where necessary. This is so that patients are always given the correct information when they dial NHS 111 for help.

An individual pharmacy’s DoS entry could be made up of one, two or three different DoS profiles, depending on the different services that each pharmacy provides.

Each DoS profile sits in one of four service types on the database:

A. Pharmacist

B. Pharmacist – Extended Hours

C. Pharmacist Enhanced Service

D. Pharmacist Urgent Prescription

Every NHS pharmacy will have one profile for its main service provision sitting in either A or B, depending on the extent of its full opening hours (core and supplementary).

Pharmacies delivering additional services (e.g. minor ailments service, NHS Urgent Medicine Supply Advanced Service) will have extra profiles in C and/or D.

All DoS profiles that make up an individual pharmacy’s DoS entry need to be checked to meet the quality criterion.

First review point (28th April 2017)

PSNC Briefing 017/17: Quality Payments – How to meet the Directory of Services quality criterion provides an overview of how to achieve the DoS quality criterion of the Quality Payments Scheme.

Please note the process to follow to update your DoS profile, is different to that stated in the NHS England guidance. Contractors should follow the process on the NHS England website; the process is also listed below:

1. Visit the DoS checker website.
2. Enter either your ODS code (F code), postcode or pharmacy name to search for your pharmacy. Not all pharmacy DoS profiles are linked to their ODS code currently. Therefore even if a profile comes up for your pharmacy when you search by ODS code, you should also search for other profiles for your pharmacy using the pharmacy’s postcode and pharmacy name as your DoS entry may be made up of more than one profile (e.g. if you offer an urgent medicines service, minor ailments scheme etc. then your pharmacy will have a separate DoS profile detailing this).
3. If you cannot find your pharmacy after searching using all three fields, please email england.communitypharmacy@nhs.net with ‘DoS’ in the title, for further assistance. In the email please include your pharmacy ODS code, pharmacy name, address, and postcode.
4. Click on the profile for your pharmacy or one of the profiles if more than one is listed for your pharmacy.
5. Check that the information displayed for your pharmacy is accurate.
6. Make a note of any inaccuracies and keep this information. Your local NHS 111 DoS Lead will be in contact for this information at a later date.
7. If there is more than one profile listed for your pharmacy you should repeat steps 4-6  for each profile listed.
8. The survey form must then be completed. Please note, even if your DoS entry is up to date, you will still need to complete the survey form to confirm you have reviewed your DoS entry. The results of the survey will inform your local NHS 111 DoS Lead that you have checked your DoS entry and will let them know where changes need to be made.
9. Once the survey form has been completed, you will receive a confirmation email which should be retained as evidence that this quality criterion has been met.

Although the quality criterion states ‘On the day of the review, the pharmacy’s NHS 111 Directory of Services entry is up to date’ NHS England has confirmed that as long as the above process is followed, contractors will meet the quality criterion for the April review point even if changes are not made to a pharmacy’s DoS entry by the local NHS 111 DoS Lead by the April review point.

Local NHS 111 DoS Leads are developing systems locally to improve how updates to the DoS are made. Local DoS leads will communicate with contractors separately about this after the declaration period for the April review point closes.

Second review point (24th November 2017)

The process for reviewing the DoS entry for the November review point is subject to change and further guidance will be issued when this process is finalised on the NHS England website.

Further information will be published as soon as it become available.

In the future, it is the intention that contractors may access their live NHS 111 DoS entry directly via one (or more) of the following method(s) facilitated by their Regional DoS team or pharmacy system supplier:

• mobile search tool such as the NHS 111 Mobile DoS and MiDoS;
• specific login to the DoS database to view and request changes; and
• look-up of DoS entry details using the ODS code within a pharmacy system.

Further information about which direct access methods have been enabled in your part of the country will be made available on the NHS England website.

Contractors will be required to confirm through the NHS BSA online declaration page that they have checked and, if appropriate, requested appropriate changes to their DoS entry.

Q. My pharmacy has more than one profile for its DoS entry. Do I need to complete a survey for each profile?
No. Contractors are required to review all the DoS profiles for their pharmacy and check for any inaccuracies. One survey form must then be completed which should cover all the DoS profiles.

As well as checking against ODS codes, contractors should search for other profiles using the  pharmacy name and postcode as well, as not all profiles are linked to their ODS code. This should enable contractors to find all the profiles that have been created for their pharmacy.

Q. My pharmacy has more than one profile for its DoS entry. Do I need to complete a survey for each profile?
No. Contractors are required to review all the DoS profiles for their pharmacy and check for any inaccuracies. One survey form must then be completed which should cover all the DoS profiles.

As well as checking against ODS codes, contractors should search for other profiles using the  pharmacy name and postcode as well, as not all profiles are linked to their ODS code. This should enable contractors to find all the profiles that have been created for their pharmacy.

Q. One of my profiles on the DoS checker is correct but the other contains incorrect information. What answer do I provide on the survey form when it asks me if my NHS 111 DoS entry is correct?
A pharmacy’s NHS 111 Dos entry is made up of all their profiles therefore if a profile contains incorrect information, the overall entry is incorrect. Contractors should therefore select ‘no’ as their NHS 111 DoS entry is not correct, and then provide all the information requested in question 7 to make the NHS 111 DoS Lead aware of the incorrect information.

Note as above only one survey needs to be completed to cover all the profiles that a pharmacy may have.

Q. I provide a minor ailment service from my pharmacy but the DoS checker is only showing one profile for my pharmacy (Profile A – pharmacist); it is not showing that the pharmacy provides an Enhanced Service (Profile C – Enhanced Service). Does this mean my NHS 111 DoS entry is incorrect?
If you believe your pharmacy should have additional profiles displayed for their DoS entry, for example, if they provide Enhanced Services, then you should select ‘no’ when asked if your NHS 111 DoS entry is up to date on the survey form.

Q. I’ve searched for my pharmacy using my ODS code and another pharmacy’s details come up. How do I proceed?
Contractors should search for other profiles for their pharmacy using the pharmacy name and postcode and  check these profiles for any other inaccuracies. The survey form should then be completed and when asked if your NHS 111 DoS profile is correct, contractors should select ‘no’ to ensure the inaccuracy of the ODS code (and any other inaccuracies) is picked up by the local NHS 111 DoS Lead. Any details that are inaccurate on any of the profiles should then be identified when completing question 7 on the survey form.

Q. Why do I need to check for profiles using my ODS code, pharmacy name and postcode?
Currently, not all the DoS profiles are linked to a pharmacy’s ODS code. Therefore, if you only search by ODS code, all your profiles may not be displayed, which may lead to you entering incorrect information into the survey form. By checking by ODS code, pharmacy name and postcode, you should find all your profiles and therefore by able to answer questions on the survey form correctly.

Q. I’ve submitted my survey but I’ve now realised that I didn’t review one of my pharmacy’s profiles. Originally, I thought my profile was correct but information in the missed profile is incorrect. Should I submit another survey form?
Yes. Ideally only one survey should be completed per pharmacy. Once submitted this survey cannot be changed.

However, if a contractor has made an error or becomes aware of inaccuracies then a second survey can be completed. NHS 111 DoS Leads will then have different information for the same contractor and will investigate the discrepancy.

Q. I’ve searched for my pharmacy using my ODS code, pharmacy name and postcode and could not find a DoS entry for my pharmacy. How do I proceed?
If you cannot find your pharmacy after searching using your ODS code, pharmacy name and postcode, please email england.communitypharmacy@nhs.net with ‘DoS’ in the title, for further assistance.

Contractors should keep a copy of the emails sent and received from NHS England as evidence that they have followed the correct procedure to meet the quality criterion.

Q. I have been unable to open the DoS checker. What should I do?
There have been reports that some contractors have had problems opening the DoS checker. NHS Digital is investigating these incidents with the affected contractors directly, and have reviewed the performance of the site. The site performance tests have not identified any problems with meeting demand or delivering functionality.

Contractors having problems accessing the site using a link from another site are asked to try typing the web link directly into their browser https://view.pathwaysdos.nhs.uk/

If this still does not work contractors should email communitypharmacy@nhs.net  about the problem and supply the following information to provide NHS Digital with more information to analyse the situation:

• the name and version of the browser, e.g. Internet explorer 11, Google Chrome;
• the time of day you experienced this issue; and
• town/city and postcode.

Q. I have checked the details of my pharmacy DoS profile and they are incorrect. What should I do?
Whether you find any inaccuracies or not, all contractors claiming this quality criterion must complete the survey form. This will inform your local NHS111 DoS Lead that you have checked your profile and will let them know where changes need to be made.

The survey form provides NHS 111 DoS Leads across the country with the information that the profiles that have been created for the pharmacies in their area are correct or not. The NHS 111 DoS Leads will then look to correct those profiles that are incorrect before the next review date.

By checking the DoS checker and completing the DoS survey form correctly the contractor will have fulfilled the requirements of the DoS criterion of the Quality Payments Scheme; and will therefore be able to claim these points in the declaration for this review period.

Q. I have recently been in contact with my NHS 111 DoS Lead and agreed changes to my DoS entry; however, this does not show up on the DoS checker. What should I do?
The information provided on the DoS Checker was taken from the DoS on 2nd March 2017, changes may have been made to the DoS since that date. However, contractors should complete the survey with the information that has been provided on the DoS checker. NHS 111 DoS Leads will reconcile the information received from the DoS survey with any subsequent changes made to the DoS.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Quality Payments can be found on the Quality Payments – FAQs page of the PSNC website.