PATIENTS in Blackburn are among the first to benefit from a new digital NHS service.

The town is one of the first in England to go live with electronic prescriptions, giving patients new choices, including Pharmacy2U’s free NHS repeat prescription.

This popular facility, which can be managed online and over the phone, reminds people when medication is due, orders it from their GP and delivers it to their home.

Julian Harrison, director of Pharmacy2U, which runs the service, said: “We are delighted to launch our free NHS service to patients in Blackburn. It provides a useful choice for those patients for whom the traditional high street pharmacy is not a convenient choice, for example, the elderly and housebound and people working long hours.”

A survey carried out by the organisation revealed that 68 per cent of people in the North West would use the new online scheme.