Boxford Update

We wanted to provide you with a brief update on progress work with our move to consolidate all our services to our Hadleigh Practice when the Boxford branch closes on the 30 June 2025.

We have conducted some internal building work within the dispensary area at Hadleigh practice.  This is to accommodate extra numbers of patients’ prescriptions from Boxford.  More shelving has been installed and a partition wall has been removed within the clinical area to give professionals more space.

During the public engagement exercise, we mentioned the possible installation of a prescription collection machine at the Hadleigh site so dispensing patients could collect their medication 24 hours a day. We can report that the machine is now installed and we will shortly be communicating with our patients about signing up to use this service.

Transport was a particular issue of concern raised during the engagement exercise last autumn. Our Charitable Trust has agreed a funding allowance for journeys to Hadleigh for patients who had previously walked to the surgery and have no other options available to them. This will be in partnership with a local taxi firm. The detail of how this will work simply and practically, will be discussed with the PPG, and a further update will be provided later in June. There are also ongoing discussions between Suffolk County Council and the existing bus service provided by Chambers about increasing the service from Boxford to Hadleigh. We are hoping there will be a decision before the closure date.

In recent weeks, we will be providing sessions at Boxford on how to use Anima (our online triage system). These events have shown patients how to log on and how to submit a request for an appointment or an administrative request. Anima is available through the practice’s website. We would be happy to repeat these sessions for any patient who has not been able to attend.

Number plate recognition has been installed at Hadleigh surgery car park.  Patients have to register their number plate in the waiting room at the Hadleigh practice which would give them two hours free car parking.  This is now in place for all patients.

Collecting your medication

There are several options available to you when our branch closes:

• Use the dispensing services in Hadleigh, your prescription will automatically be transferred across to Hadleigh (you may wish someone else to collect this for you on your behalf) this includes the diary system. Unless you choose another option, this is where you next prescription will be ready to collect.
• Nominate a pharmacy of your choice, this may be somewhere near to where you work or your weekly shop.
• Nominate an on-line only pharmacy where they send your medication to your home via the post

If you choose to keep your prescriptions with the practice, you will collect your prescription in June as normal from the Mill surgery in Boxford and then in July you will collect from Hadleigh. The last day for collecting a repeat prescription from Mill Surgery Boxford will be Monday 30th June. If you request a repeat prescription from the Mill Surgery in Boxford on or after Thursday 26th June, this will be ready to collect from our dispensary in Hadleigh from Tuesday 1st July. 

If you choose to nominate an alternate pharmacy of your choice or register with an online pharmacy once when we close Boxford, you will be able to collect your prescription from the Mill surgery in June.  We then suggest you nominate a pharmacy or register with an on-line pharmacy straight away so that you are set-up ready for your repeat medication collection/delivery in July.

Repeat Prescriptions

Please allow 3 full working days for prescriptions to be processed and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account.

There is no need to call the Dispensary to confirm whether your prescription is ready to collect, providing you have allowed the full 72 hours before collection. Managed repeats (diary prescriptions) will be ready to collect 28 days after your prescription collection.
We do not accept repeat prescriptions requests over the telephone.

Ordering a repeat prescription

There are three ways you can order a repeat prescription:

• Order repeat prescriptions via the NHS App or NHS website, and have them sent to a pharmacy of your choice.
• Use online services, you will need to sign up for this by coming into the Practice at Hadleigh with some identification. 
• Manually – you can drop your repeat slip at the Hadleigh health centre, there is a post box located at the front of the surgery.

If you chose for a High Street Pharmacy or Online Pharmacy to dispense your prescription, when you request your prescription, we will raise the prescription and send this electronically to the pharmacy of your choice for them to dispense. This is called a nomination.

Pharmacy Nomination

To change your nominated pharmacy, this can be completed by:

• Using online services/NHS app
• Request through Anima
• Contact your new pharmacy/online pharmacy

I hope this is a helpful update for you.  We will share further information as and when it is available.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and interest.

Partners

Published: May 28, 2025