Welcome to the Our Dorset COVID Medicine Delivery Unit (CMDU) Service

There are currently two types of treatments available for patients; the NHS will advise which treatment, if any, is suitable for you

• Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are oral antiviral medicines; They help to stop the coronavirus from reproducing in the body, can help your body to overcome the virus and may help you get better faster

• The antiviral medicines come in capsules that you take at home, the prescription will be sent to one of the dedicated pharmacies below. It is helpful if you have someone who can collect the medications for you

What is the COVID Medicine Delivery Unit (CMDU)?

CMDU provides antibody or antiviral treatments to non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill. The way in which people can access the service changed on 16th October 2023

How can I now access these services?

The CMDU is funded and delivered locally. Patients across Dorset can be referred to the primary care CMDU by their GP or 111 via the SystemOne e-referral template. Patients will then be contacted within 24 - 48 hours of referral to assessment for treatment

Why did the service change in October 2023?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gave its final recommendations that these treatments are now funded locally as part of routine NHS services

Local NHS organisations, called Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), have now set up COVID-19 treatments services in a way that works for your area

This means eligible patients will no longer be automatically referred to the CMDU, if they test positive for COVID-19 they must be referred to the primary care CMDU by their GP or 111 via the SystemOne e-referral template

What health conditions make you eligible for COVID-19 treatments with the CMDU?

A summary of the eligible health conditions is provided at www.nhs.uk/CoronavirusTreatments, with more detail provided in the Government’s updated Independent Advisory Group (IAG) report

If you have one of these health conditions, or receiving other eligible medicines, you may have received a letter or email from the NHS. This letter does not guarantee treatment as doctors will need to assess you to make sure the treatment is right for you

If you think you may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments, but haven’t received a letter, you can contact your specialist clinician to discuss whether you are in one of the highest risk groups

I was previously classed as clinically extremely vulnerable – why am I not eligible for treatments?

The list of health conditions that make someone potentially eligible for COVID-19 treatments has been agreed by the UK Chief Medical Officers. It’s based on advice from an independent advisory group of health experts commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)

This list is different to the list of health conditions that previously identified people as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ that were advised to shield. It is also different to the list of health conditions that make someone eligible for COVID-19 vaccines

Why have I received a letter or email about COVID-19 treatments?

Health experts have looked at the health conditions which put people at the highest risk from coronavirus.

Some patients in this highest risk group were informed by a letter or email that they may be eligible to receive these treatments, should they test positive for COVID-19

If you have received a letter from NHS England about COVID-19 treatments, it means your medical records show that you have, or previously had one or more of those health conditions, which means that these new treatments might be suitable for you if a test confirms you have COVID-19

A letter/email that was issued to patients in June 2023 outlined some changes to the way people will access COVID-19 treatments from 16th October 2023

You can find out how the NHS has used your information to identify and contact you about this treatment at www.digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/treatments/transparency-notice

How can I access this information in another language or alternative format?

Easy read and other language versions of the letter that went out to patients are available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/treatments.

Braille can also be posted to potentially eligible patients on request

What should I do if I think I might be eligible for treatment but have not received a letter or email from the NHS about these treatments?
If you think you may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments, but haven’t received a letter, you can contact your specialist clinician to discuss whether you are in one of the highest risk groups

I received a letter/email/SMS saying that I might be suitable for treatment, but following my positive test and referral to the CMDU, I was told I wasn’t eligible
Not all patients who are identified will be suitable for treatment. The decision to offer treatment is made by a Primary Care clinician who will need to assess whether treatment would be beneficial to you

If this happened to you and you were not offered treatment, it may be due to any of the following:

• Your symptoms were already improving by the time you were assessed for suitability for treatment

• Your medical record may be out of date. For example, you currently no longer have the condition that previously made you eligible for treatment

• Your medical record may contain incorrect clinical codes that do not accurately reflect your health status

• The digital identification process was designed to identify as many patients as possible who maybe eligible for treatment. Sometimes this means capturing individuals that meet some, but not all of the eligible criteria for COVID-19 treatments

How do I access treatments if I am away from home e.g. on holiday?

If you're away from home and need to access an assessment for COVID-19 treatments, you can contact any GP surgery nearby

Find a GP surgery near you

You can receive emergency treatment from a GP surgery for up to 14 days – for example, if you fall ill while on holiday in the UK

You can also phone NHS 111

Do I need to report my test result? I was previously told I have to but have now heard that I don’t need to.

From 27 June 2023, you will no longer have to report your COVID-19 test result online in order to access an assessment for treatment. Instead you will need to contact your GP or 111 who will refer you into our service

Can I use tests bought from a shop? I was previously told I couldn’t, but have now heard that I can.

You can now use tests purchased from a pharmacy or shop. If you get a positive result from a test you’ve paid for & you think that you might be eligible for this treatment you need to report this test to your GP or 111 who will refer you into our service