Worry over oxygen supply change

Oxygen cylinders are now provided by a private company

An oxygen-dependent patient says he is worried by a change in the way he receives his supplies of the gas.

From Wednesday all local health boards in Wales and England will supply the cylinders through a private company.

Gwynedd Local Health Board said the new system would improve the service for patients allowing continued assessment of their needs in their own homes.

But Brian Jones from Blaenau Ffestiniog said he was worried that the service was being centralised.

Before the change, patients needed a prescription for every oxygen cylinder, which was then supplied by the local pharmacy.

Brian Jones, who is 58, has been receiving oxygen for two years because he suffers from a serious chest disease.

Pharmacy

"I'm happy with the system as it is, I don't understand why they need to change it," he said.

"I used to get a prescription and then the pharmacy would get my oxygen by the next day."

Gwynedd Local Health Board's head of medicines management, Dr Berwyn Owen, said under the new system a private firm would take over delivery of the cylinders. Patients would then be assessed in their homes to see whether they were receiving the best treatment.

"In the past once a patient was on oxygen they were not reviewed, and it could be that they were no longer on the best treatment, " said Dr Owen.

"Under the new system they will be assessed by a specialist nurse who works with the company supplying the cylinders and it might be found that a machine called an oxygen concentrator would be better for them," he added.

Use of an oxygen generator would save money, but Dr Owen said the main reason for the change was improved services for patients.

Patients now need only fill in one form instead of a prescription for every cylinder, he added.