GP Practice Public or Private Contact Email

API Platform
1

Hello,

I’m working with a digital pharmacy and we inform customer GP Practices when a patient of theirs places an order to keep them up to date on recent prescriptions.

As it stands, we generate a PDF, print it and send it by mail. Our aim is to switch this to a password protected PDF via email.

When logged into the Service Finder there’s a “Non Public Email” available that we can use manually.

Is there an API or an automated mechanism to retrieve this email, perhaps by ODS Code or similar?

I expect this is something to DoS could solve, but the service terms restrict crawling and I’m not sure if this would fall in a similar vein.

Thanks for any help!

Connor

2

Hi Connor,

For retrieving non-public GP practice emails automatically, you are correct that you will need to be onboarded using the Directory of Services (DoS). Details of the onboarding process are on the EPS onboarding and assurance for IT suppliers webpage.

Other possible options for Accessing Non-Public GP Practice Emails:

  1. Check with NHS England API and integration catalogue or NHS Service Finder:
  • NHS England often provides APIs for legitimate healthcare services, including pharmacies, when there is a clear patient benefit and proper security measures in place. The NHS England API and integration catalogue should list appropriate APIs (if available).
  • DoS Integration: Contact DoS or NHS Service Finder support teams to discuss your needs. They may offer a way to access non-public emails securely, especially if you have the ODS Code as a reference.
  1. Direct Contact with DoS or NHSmail Support Teams:
  • For compliance and privacy reasons, sometimes direct engagement is the most effective way to clarify and request access. There may be options available for securely obtaining email addresses via an API - if available.
  • DoS Enquiries: Directly contact england.contactus@nhs.net and mention “DoS API Integration Inquiry” in your subject line.

More details at:

https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/electronic-prescription-service-directory-of-services

For compliance and privacy reasons, sometimes direct engagement with DoS is the most effective way to clarify and request access.

Thanks,

NHS England API Platform team

Please note: The API Platform team can only address queries relevant to the NHS England API platform, including security, rate limiting, logging, monitoring and alerting. For any API specific queries, please reach out the relevant API teams.