FOI-01266

Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Could you please provide the number of unique patients by ICB and SICBL (Sub Integrated Care Board Location) which have had a prescription including a product classified under the BNF chapter 23 but only for the following sections: 

    2335
    2360
    2396
    2394 (File attached showing the pouch codes required)

Can this be split by month for the last 24 months, April 2021 to March 2023.

You clarified your request in response to the following question: Could you please specify whether you would like the patient counts split out by the BNF sections listed as well as by ICB / SICBL, or total at ICB/SICBL for all of those sections combined? 

A: Yes, please split by the BNF sections as well as the ICB/SICBL individual BNF Section split. 
Thanks for your offer of more up to date data, the June 2021-May 2023 would be ideal.

Your clarified request was received on 31 July 2023 and has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

##Response

A copy of the information is attached.

###Data Source
NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse

###Time Period
Data covers prescribing between June 2021 and May 2023 inclusive, presented by month.

###Contents
This release contains information on the number of unique patients prescribed one or more items of an appliance from the BNF sections listed below, or the list or two-piece ostomy systems as supplied by the requestor, in ICBs and sub-ICB locations (SICBLs) in England within the time period set out above.

###Prescribing Organisation
Data shown for prescribing in ICBs and SICBLs in England, in all settings, where dispensed in the community.  The data is presented at ICB and SICBL level separately, with unique patient counts calculated at each level.  Non-SICBL prescribing (e.g. in secondary care settings where dispensed in the community) is not included.

###Dispensing Organisation
No restrictions have been placed on dispensing location.

###Appliances
Data is shown for prescribing of appliances in the following BNF sections:

    2335	Colostomy Bags
    2360	Ileostomy Bags
    2394	Two Piece Ostomy Systems (selected presentations only).
    2396	Urostomy Bags

A full list of those presentations included in the analysis has been included alongside this release.

###Patient Data
Patients who could not be identified by means of a valid NHS number on the prescription form have been excluded.  In the context of this analysis (time period, organisation level and included appliances), 98.46% of items can be attributed to an identifiable patient.  The figures for the number of identifiable patients should not be combined and reported at any other level than provided as this may result in the double-counting of patients.  

NHSBSA Prescription Services process prescriptions and information is then used to make payments to pharmacists and appliance contractors (in England) for prescriptions dispensed in primary care settings. This involves processing approximately 1 billion prescription items and payments totalling over £9 billion each year. The information gathered from this process is then used to provide information on costs and trends in prescribing in England and Wales to over 25,000 registered NHS and Department of Health users.

###Exclusions:

The data excludes:

* Items not dispensed, disallowed and those returned to the contractor for further clarification. 
* Prescriptions prescribed and dispensed in Prisons, Hospitals and Private prescriptions.
* Items prescribed but not presented for dispensing or not submitted to NHS Prescription Services by the dispenser. 

##Data Queries
If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact foidata@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.


The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement:
“NHSBSA Copyright 2023” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated.  

Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.

Tags: BNF, NHS Prescription Services
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log