A GP surgery has faced a huge backlash on social media after announcing their prescription phone line will ‘no longer be operating’.

The Arrow Surgery on Fields Park Drive, Alcester announced on Facebook on Sunday, January 8 that they will no longer be taking orders for repeat medication over the phone,

The surgery is encouraging patients to use the NHS app to order repeat prescriptions or request medication by using the contact us section of their website.

However, some patients have branded the move a ‘terrible decision’.

One Facebook user wrote: “Terrible decision people still rely on phone calls, technology is not for everyone and some people may not have the luxury of dropping in.

“Recently when using the app my prescription didn’t even make it to the pharmacy I then had to call into the doctors and finally I ended up with items I didn’t even order two days later than I needed it!

“Taking a way a form of communication surely won’t help.”

Whilst another user posted: “In my opinion, not a good move. Since we are with this surgery, I was about to register my mum, aged 75, who is moving into the area but she does not have and does not want a smartphone nor can she afford internet.”

In response, The Arrow Surgery acknowledge patient’s comments and said their announcement has ‘generated some misconceptions.

Their recent post reads: “We announced the change in November of last year and there’s been a message on the prescription line since then.

“Most other practices have either never taken orders for medication over the ‘phone or have stopped taking them.

“Changing the system will not change the workload of the doctors who will still need to authorise the sometimes hundreds of prescriptions every day that we do now, as all prescriptions however requested, will still be clinically reviewed.”

The surgery says the move is to ‘allow more time for reception staff to deal with other prescription queries and other tasks such as booking appointments’.

The post goes on to say: “We regularly get over 6000 incoming calls, the equivalent of every patient on our list calling us, every month and we have doubled the number of receptionists answering calls in the last year.

“If you don’t like using an app or online system you can still submit requests in writing or by using the right-hand side of your repeat prescription or by taking advantage of the ‘repeat dispensing’ (batch) system.

“However, we recognise that there are some patients who aren’t able to order prescriptions in any way other than by ‘phoning and we are happy to discuss with these patients on an individual basis how we can help them get their medication.”