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May 2024 May 2024
BERE REGIS DORSET TRADING STANDARDS

SURGERY NEWS
Dorset County Council Trading Standards Service check and
approve businesses so you don’t have to.
A reminder that we have 2 bank
holidays in May. For more information visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or
call 08454 040506.
We will be closed Monday 6 and To report or seek advice about problems you have
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Monday 27 May experienced when dealing with a trader call 08454 040506.
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Whilst we are closed, if you need
medical attention phone 111, if you Animal allergens in vegan and plant-based food
have a medical emergency phone 999. Please ensure any medication you need
for over the bank holidays is ordered and collected in good time. The Food Standards Agency is running a campaign to advise people with milk,
egg, fish or shellfish allergies, or those who care for people with these types of

allergies, to always check the label on vegan and plant-based food as it may not
PRESCRIPTION CHARGE TO RISE TO £9.90 FROM 1 MAY 2024 be safe to eat.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that from 1 Foods marked as vegan or plant-based are not guaranteed to be free from
May 2024, the NHS prescription charge will increase to £9.90 per prescription products of animal origin, and therefore could still contain allergenic ingredients.
item (note: some items may incur more than one charge). This is because a vegan label is not a food safety label so risks remain of cross-
contamination in manufacturing and production processes that might mean
From May 1, the cost of a three-month PPC will become £32.05, whilst a 12-month
PPC is increasing to £114.50. PPCs offer savings for those needing any four or more vegan or plant-based food is not safe for some people to eat.
prescription items in three months, or 12 or more items in a year. Q: Do you know
the difference
The HRT PPC will also increase to £19.80. An up-to-date list of HRT medicines between a ‘free
covered by the PPC is available online
-f rom’ an d
For prescriptions dispensed in April 2024, the NHS prescription charge will remain at ‘vegan’ label?
£9.65. If you order in April and collect in May you will pay the increased charge.
A: A ‘free-from’
Prescriptions are collected from the surgery letterbox at 08.30 and 13.00 each label
day. Any requests put into the post box after 13.00 will be processed the following guarantees the
day. product doesn’t
contain the named allergen. To use this label, food businesses must follow strict
Please continue to use the NHS app or TPP portal on our website to order your processes to ensure the allergen isn’t present.
medication if you can. To sign up to use this service please bring some ID to
Reception and our Receptionists will help you to sign up to this service However, these rules don’t apply to vegan or plant-based products, which means
there could be a chance of cross-contamination with allergens such as milk,
If you have a musculoskeletal problem, ask our reception about seeing our First eggs, fish or shellfish.
contact physiotherapist (FCP) instead of a GP. FCPs assess and diagnose people
with muscle and joint problems when they first present, providing a specialist Q: Do you have an allergy to milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish? Do you eat vegan food
physiotherapy opinion. They do not provide physiotherapy treatments themselves to help manage your allergies?
but can refer on if needed or may suggest exercises you can do at home. A: Vegan food isn’t always safe for people with these allergies because of
potential cross-contamination during manufacturing and preparation processes.

For peace of mind that ingredients such as milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish aren’t
present in vegan food or plant-based food through cross-contamination, always

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