How much does the new Home Oxygen Therapy Service cost?
Prices have now been issued to all oxygen leads within each local PCT.
What is Vitalair?
Vitalair is part of BOC Medical; a leading global supplier of medical. BOC used to be called “British Oxygen” and has been supplying medical oxygen in the UK for over 100 years. Vitalair is the brand name under which we will provide our home oxygen therapy service.
Which areas will Vitalair cover?
Vitalair is contracted to provide this service across the following regions:
Who is authorised to sign the Home Oxygen Order Form?
Oxygen can be ordered by a registered healthcare professional, not just qualified prescribers. .
Will GPs be required to fill out the Home Oxygen Order Form?
Yes, although GPs will mainly place oxygen orders for SBOT and emergency supplies. NHS has issued guidelines to all GPs to assist them with the completion of the new forms.
Please visit the ‘Place an Order’ page of this website for more information.
Where can I get copies of the Home Oxygen Order Form and the Home Oxygen Consent Form?
Forms will be supplied through the same sourcing as FP10s.
You can download both forms from the primary care contracting website:
Home Oxygen Order Form
Home Oxygen Consent Form
You can also download copies of the HOOF from the ‘Place an Order’ section of this website.
When should clinicians complete the HOCF form?
The HOCF should be completed at the same time as the HOOF and is used to obtain consent for the release of personally identifiable information to BOC. A copy should be retained in the patient’s records.
How quickly can Vitalair install a concentrator?
Our standard response time is 3 days.
How quickly can Vitalair deliver oxygen cylinders?
Our standard response time is normally 3 days.During the initial few weeks ofthe new arrangement (Feb/Mar) the delay will be longer. During this period patients and clinicians should continue to use the old system of FP10 prescriptions and cylinders supplied by community pharmacists. BOC has introduced the latest scheduling software which will predict patients’ usage patterns. We will therefore be able to deliver oxygen to patients in a regular, set pattern such as every Wednesday or every Friday. Until we have built up patient’s usage patterns, we are asking patients to check how much gas they are using and to contact us to order a replenishment cylinder well in advance.
If patients find that they need oxygen urgently (ie an emergency) then we can respond within 4 hours.
When should clinicians correctly use the emergency category?
The emergency category should only be used for patients who need an urgent supply of oxygen. On the reverse side of the HOOF, advisory notes clearly state a 4 hour response order should only be requested if a patient has no oxygen supply at home. It should not be used to help discharge patients from hospital.
Can any of the services be ordered on an emergency basis? (The notes under
Sections 10 & 11 of the HOOF seem to suggest that ambulatory could not be ordered in these circumstances)
Yes, all services can be ordered under an emergency. The emergency category will last for a minimum of 3 days and will continue until we are notified otherwise.
If a hospital requests a next day delivery for a patient, would a GP need to follow this up after 3 days with an ongoing HOOF?
Our standard response times are 3 working days for a delivery/installation. If the hospital wishes for the patient to receive oxygen by the next day, then the hospital (not the GP) will need to follow this up after 4-5 weeks to re-assess.
We are asking hospitals to plan their discharges! The spirit of the contract is based around a service level agreement of 3 days –if all respiratory departments and/or all GPs request oxygen on a next day basis, then this may cause delivery issues.
We can respond next day, if required, but it is anticipated that this request is the exception rather than the rule.
A PIN field has been included at the bottom of the HOOF. Does this field refer to a prescribing identidier? Is it mandatory?
Yes. The PIN field should be the registration number of the orderer (GP number, UKCC number etc. It is a mandatory field, necessary for audit purposes.
Are we correct in thinking that each PCT needs to appoint a person who will be the named contact for receiving copies of all HOOFs?
Trusts have been advised that the new service gives an opportunity to get an overview for the first time of who is ordering oxygen, and this is why the clinical advisory group asked that a clinical lead for Oxygen should receive a copy of all orders primarily for research purposes. The BTS has a list of clinical oxygen leads in all Trusts.
Will clinicians need to complete a new HOOF every time my patient needs a new cylinder?
No. Only one HOOF is required for each request for a new service. Continuing service requirements (eg cylinder replenishments) will be provided against the initial order. The Service will continue until no longer required or until we are instructed to stop.
What if patients want to go on holiday?
If patients wish to travel anywhere within England & Wales, Vitalair will require a new HOOF. We will fax this form to the relevant contractor who will supply similar equipment to the patient’s usual modality. The cost of this service will be funded by the NHS. If the patient wishes to travel abroad, then the patient will have to pay for their oxygen. Our customer advisors have a wealth of experience and can assist patients with their travel arrangements. There is also a plethora of information available on the Holiday and Travel Section on this website.
What if patients want to go on holiday in Scotland?
If the patient wishes to travel to Scotland or Northern Ireland, then the patient will require a FP10 form to obtain oxygen. This is because the new home oxygen arrangements only affect England and Wales. Patients can travel with their concentrator (secured upright), but cylinders of oxygen will continue to be supplied through the pharmacy channel in Scotland. For more information on holidays, visit the ‘Holiday & Travel’ section of this site.
What if a patients requires oxygen at school or at a hospice?
If oxygen is required at another address, the GP or hospital doctor will need to fill out a second HOOF, providing details of the location, flow-rates and duration. The orderer should mark on the HOOF (we suggest box 13) “SECOND ADDRESS”. Vitalair will continue to supply (and hence bill against this HOOF) until notified otherwise. If the hospice wants to consider arranging strategic stocks (if they have storage facilities) then we can also arrange this. If the hospice or school falls into another area which is not contracted to BOC then will send a copy of the form to the contractor who covers this area.
What should we advise patients to do with their old cylinders which were delivered by the pharmacist?
We are asking patients to return their empty cylinders to the pharmacy which supplied them or to contact the pharmacy directly, who should collect them from the patients’ home. Cylinders supplied by pharmacies MUST find their way back to the original pharmacy that supplied them in order to reconcile their cylinder holdings with their supplier. This will enable pharmacies to settle their accounts
What risk assessments are carried out prior to installing liquid oxygen?
Prior to installing liquid oxygen in the home, one of our patient service representatives will ensure that there are easily accessible, well ventilated storage facilities. Patients should be able to understand the risks associated with liquid oxygen and be comfortable with the necessary filling procedures. We have a duty of care to our employees and will not deliver liquid oxygen systems to patients who continue to smoke in the close vicinity of oxygen.
Will you be able to provide reports on your service?
Yes. In the future, as the technology becomes available we hope to provide a wide variety of reporting on our performance versus our service level agreements. This will become available in the password protected area of the site, under ‘Reporting’.
Until this becomes available, please contact our customer service advisors on 0800 136 603, who should be able to provide hard copy reports.