The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7193 p487-492
13 April 2002

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News summary

No increase in English oxygen budget

The Department of Health has decided not to increase the budget for domiciliary oxygen services in England for 2002–03.

The budget, drawn from the global sum, pays fees to pharmacy contractors for delivering and collecting oxygen cylinders and providing associated professional advice and support. The oxygen hardware budget, which pays contractors for holding oxygen sets and pays compensation for lost or damaged sets, has been increased by 3 per cent.

With effect from 1 April, pharmacies are able to provide domiciliary oxygen therapy services across health authority boundaries under Section 42 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001. Payment for such services will be made by the HA in which the pharmacy is situated, not the one where the patient lives.

Health authorities may now also arrange for the provision of pharmaceutical services to any person, whether or not in their area, (if so directed) under Section 43 of the Act.

The responsibility for domiciliary oxygen will remain with health authorities until the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill is passed, at which time it will be devolved to primary care trusts. The Department of Health has told health authorities to decide, in consultation with local pharmaceutical committees, whether to maintain existing arrangements, adopt a uniform approach across each area, or to change arrangements in any other way.

"In the circumstances, HAs may decide that it would be sensible to maintain existing arrangements on a traditional basis until PCTs take over responsibility," Peter Denlevy, community pharmacy policy manager, Department of Health, says in guidance issued on 4 April.

The outcome of a review of the provision of domiciliary oxygen services in general, not just the community pharmacy role, is expected to be published later this year by the Department of Health.