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Date sent: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:47:17 +0100 (BST)
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E-HEALTH INSIDER PRIMARY CARE
Issue No 24, 13 July 2005
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We heard recently of an elderly lady who queued up for a long time in
the post office - as one has to do these days - only to forget the PIN
needed to pick up her pension. She left in tears with no money, a
bewildered casualty of the decision to pay pensions and benefits
electronically, rather than via hard copy pass books.
This week we report on a warning that local pharmacies are likely to
undergo similar radical changes when electronic transfer of
prescriptions takes off. This will send a chill down the spine of
everyone dealing with the problems caused not only by the decision to
go for electronic pension and benefit payments but also the
side-effect of sub-post offices closing by the score.
The Department of Work and Pensions made huge efforts to try to stop
sad scenes like the one described but some people can't cope, usually
the most vulnerable ones least likely to protest. This is not an
argument against using technology to make our public services safer
for the majority and more cost-effective. Rather it is a warning that
the health service will have to have multiple access channels to
protect its most vulnerable patients for as long as it takes and
probably a lot longer than the authorities would like..
Being left without money is frightening and disruptive for an elderly
person, being left without medication could be life-threatening.
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