Published: 06/06/24

Our colleagues at NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) have written to Independent Pharmacy Contractors to inform them about some issues that have arisen during the switchover to SWAN2.

We are in the process of changing all independent Pharmacies current  NHS SWAN  connection to our new NHS provider, BT(SWAN2).

We have encountered a few issues whereby Pharmacies are being contacted by their own private broadband provider to inform them that they will need to change their phone line to VOIP which also requires a broadband service.

We have had some sites where the VOIP provider has taken over the NHS fibre line, resulting in the Pharmacy being left with no ePharmacy connection. To rectify that situation a new line needs to be ordered from BT and the estimated turnaround time for this is a couple of weeks.

If you are planning on having VOIP phones installed, and you have already had your 1st line appointment or totally migrated over to the new service please can you make your VOIP provider aware that there is already a fibre line in the premises solely for NHS purposes and this should not be touched and they must install a completely separate line for the VOIP phones.