Serious Shortage Protocols for Estradot and Creon – extension

Dear colleagues,

Please see the email below on Serious Shortage Protocols which have been extended today. Please note there is no attachment. This is for onward cascade.

Please note this is being sent on behalf of DHSC.

Please can you cascade this to the following:

• ICS primary care leads – for action
  • For onward cascade to:
    • General Practices
    • Community Pharmacies
• Regional health and justice leads – for action
  • For onward cascade to:
    • Providers delivering health and justice healthcare services.
• Regional Directors of primary care and public health – for information
• Heads of primary care commissioning – for information
• Regional Pharmacists – for information

Dear colleagues,

Because of ongoing supply issues, we are extending the two Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Creon® (SSP060 and SSP061) and the four SSPs currently in place for Estradot^® patches (SSP079-082) all of which were due to end on Friday 10^th July 2026.

The new end date for SSP060 will be Friday 7^th August.

The new end date for SSP061 and SSP079-082 will be Friday 2^nd October 2026.

The SSPs are available to view onthe NHS Business Service Authority (BSA)’s dedicated SSP web page.

If you have any questions regarding the SSPs please contact the NHS Prescription Service:

Email: nhsbsa.prescriptionservices@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

Telephone: 0300 330 1349

Textphone: 18001 0300 330 1349

To access the latest information about SSPs (including supporting guidance), please visit the following link – https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/serious-shortage-protocols-ssps.

Many thanks for your assistance with this request,

On Behalf of Department of Health and Social Care.