THOUSANDS of patients in Hampshire are in the dark about digital health advances that could save them time and the cash-strapped NHS money.

Online YouGov research for Pharmacy2U found half of all adults were unaware electronic prescriptions are now available at most GP surgeries in England.

In the South East, 448 GP surgeries offer the service yet 44 per cent of residents have never heard of it.

But nearly three-out-of-every-four people in the region told about the NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) said they would be likely to use it.

Satisfaction among those already using the Pharmacy2U NHS electronic repeat prescription service is very high and was rated “excellent” or “good” by 97 per cent of users in a separate postal questionnaire survey.

The YouGov EPS survey comes as the NHS is under intense pressure to reduce costs through innovation and the use of alternative digital services.

Patients leading busy lives are already enjoying the benefits of other digital services such as home shopping, online banking and booking holidays. But the move towards electronic prescriptions has not been so quick.

More than half of all those surveyed in the region – a total of 56 per cent – had to visit a pharmacy for prescription medication in the last month.

Yet 46 per cent were unaware they could enjoy the benefit of home delivery via an NHS-accredited online repeat prescription service, provided by Pharmacy2U.

According to the latest NHS Digital data, almost nine-out-of-every-10 GP surgeries in England (87 per cent) have now switched on the EPS – meaning GPs can send prescriptions digitally direct to pharmacies.

It is designed to speed up the process and gives patients across the country access to new services, including new online home delivery pharmacies.

Pharmacy2U’s chief operating officer and superintendent pharmacist Daniel Lee said: “Efficiency savings must be found if the NHS is to continue to provide future generations with the same level of care as we enjoy today.

“Service innovation – delivering existing services in new ways under the guidance of qualified and experienced pharmacists – is a key part of helping the NHS to solve this challenge.

“This year we invested £3.5million in a state-of-the-art medicines dispensing hub that enables many thousands of people to receive their medication in the most efficient way possible, supporting the NHS in its drive to save money. This has enabled Pharmacy2U to achieve industry leading levels of clinical accuracy while providing a service that is rated very highly by the patients who use it.

“Despite ditching paper in most areas of their lives, our survey shows many people have been slow to catch on to the benefits of new digital services available within the NHS, such as electronic prescriptions.

“It may sound like a small thing, but the convenience of a fully managed prescription service – with deliveries direct to your door – can be a huge time-saver, as well as helping those who are elderly or housebound.”

The repeat prescription service allows people to order by phone, app or online, and then have their medication delivered for free to their home or workplace, with telephone medication advice from a team of pharmacists.

The UK’s largest dedicated online mail-order pharmacy also provides a free reminder service ensuring patients do not run out of medication.