Patients under the care of Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust are now able to collect outpatient prescription medicines from new pharmacy collection lockers, which were unveiled at Kingston Hospital this week.

Kingston Hospital is the first hospital in the UK to offer these lockers, which are managed by Boots, in partnership with Clix. The lockers provide a simple, safe and secure solution to make it easier for patients to pick up their prescription medicines. Patients that have medicines prescribed for them, who are not on site to pick up their medicines, will be contacted by a member of the Boots pharmacy staff to discuss their prescription, any pharmaceutical advice about their treatment and, if suitable, will be asked if they would like to collect their medicine from a locker.

For many patients with regular hospital medicine needs, who have a telephone consultation, or medicines prescribed following test results, the lockers will help to deliver a more convenient and accessible outpatient pharmacy experience.

Medicines can be collected from the lockers by patients at any time, using their smartphone and a secure text message from Boots, without the need to download an app.

Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Digital Information Officer, Anthony Lundrigan, joined the Trust’s Chief Pharmacist, Judith Foy, and representatives from Boots, and Clix, to declare the lockers officially open.

Judith Foy said: “We are delighted that the new lockers are now available, enabling patients and carers to collect prescription medicines at a time that suits them. We hope this convenient service will be helpful to patients.”

Ashley Littlewood-Miller, National Hospitals Manager from Boots, said: “I am delighted to launch our pharmacy collection lockers in partnership with Clix here at Kingston Hospital. The lockers will enable outpatients of the Trust to collect their medicines 24 hours a day and at a time that suits them. This project has been a real team effort. At Boots, patient centred care is at the heart of what we do, and these pharmacy collection lockers represent a true evolution in the service provided to patients in partnership with the Trust.”