Serious Shortage Protocols (SSP)
Published on: 1st February 2022 | Updated on: 4th February 2026
In February 2019, the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 were changed to introduce SSPs. Further changes came into force in July 2019, in the NHS (amendments relating to serious shortage protocols) Regulations 2019.If the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) decide there is a serious shortage of a specific medicine or appliance, then an SSP may be issued.
In the case where a substitution is made then please sort these prescriptions into Group 1A for submission to NWSSP Prescription Pricing. These continue to follow the criteria for this group as they are not dispensed as originally prescribed. For paper prescriptions, contractors should endorse the prescription with “NCSO” to indicate that a supply was made in accordance with an SSP stating the supplied quantity (and the product name if the SSP provides options) and follow usual endorsement rules.