January 22nd 2026

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Patients call for improved medical device supply

NHS medical device prescribing should reflect aesthetics and patient choice and there should be better user information.

Patients have told the NHS that in relation to medical devices:  

• They should help users live their lives to the fullest
• Appearance, comfort and fit matter
• One size doesn’t fit all
• They should respond to the needs of the diverse groups of people who use them
• High quality and accessible information is important

In a report Patient views on medical devices prescribed to them outside of hospital in England, patients said that once they are prescribed a device, they simultaneously become patients, self-advocates and supply chain managers which can be very confusing, particularly when switching to an alternative device.

They also highlighted the following:

• Lack of information on the role of Dispensing Appliance Contractors (DAC)
• Differences in how long it takes to get a prescription fulfilled based on geography, prescriber and DAC.
• Lack of in-person guidance
• Boxes of strips dispensed with very short expiry dates.

In response, the DHSC says it will:  

• improve patient information, including on prescribing and dispensing
• ensure a wide range of choices of device are available through Part IX of the Drug Tariff.