Clinical Governance

How this service works

LYLA is a digital healthcare service providing NHS-commissioned contraceptive care to eligible UK residents. The service is operated in partnership with Inspire Pharmacy, a GPhC-registered pharmacy (Registration No. 2069392) with a qualified superintendent pharmacist and a team of NMC-registered clinical practitioners.

Patients access the service through the LYLA website, book a clinical consultation, complete a confidential medical questionnaire, and are assessed by a UK-licensed clinician. Where clinically appropriate, a prescription is issued and dispensed by Inspire Pharmacy. All medication is dispatched directly to the patient via secure delivery.

The service operates under NHS commissioning arrangements and in accordance with NICE guidelines, FSRH (Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare) clinical guidance, and NHS England prescribing standards for contraceptive services.

Consultations and prescriptions

All clinical consultations are conducted by GPhC-registered pharmacists or NMC-registered nurses with independent prescribing authority. Clinicians are fully qualified to issue contraceptive prescriptions under UK law and hold current registration with their respective regulatory bodies.

During each consultation, the clinician reviews the patient's complete medical history, current medications, contraindications, and clinical suitability before any prescription decision is made. Prescriptions are only issued where clinically appropriate. Patients are not guaranteed a prescription — clinical judgement is always exercised independently and in the patient's best medical interest.

The contraceptive options currently available through LYLA include:

• Combined oral contraceptive pill
• Progestogen-only pill (mini pill)
• Contraceptive patch (transdermal)
• Hormonal vaginal ring (contraceptive medicine)
• Injectable contraception (e.g. Depo-Provera)

All products are licensed medicines, dispensed in accordance with the current British National Formulary (BNF) and manufacturer guidelines.

Patient safety

Patient safety is the primary concern of the LYLA clinical team. The following protocols are in place:

• Contraindication screening: Every consultation includes a structured review of absolute and relative contraindications using WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC) for contraceptive use.
• Pharmacovigilance: Adverse events and medication reactions are recorded and reported to the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) via the Yellow Card scheme as required.
• Clinical escalation pathways: If a clinical concern is identified that falls outside the scope of this service, the clinician will direct the patient to their GP, an NHS urgent care service, or emergency services as appropriate.
• Safeguarding: All clinical staff are trained in safeguarding procedures. Clinicians follow NHS safeguarding standards for both adults and children. Patients under 16 are assessed in accordance with Fraser Guidelines.
• Medication safety: All dispensed medicines are licensed UK-authorised products, stored and dispatched in compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards.

Clinical oversight

The service is overseen by a qualified Superintendent Pharmacist (Mohammed Sikandar), who is responsible for ensuring that clinical standards, regulatory obligations, and NHS commissioning requirements are consistently met.

Clinical oversight activities include:

• Regular clinical audit of consultation quality and outcomes
• Ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) for all clinical staff
• Periodic review of clinical guidelines and protocols
• Internal quality management and complaints review process
• Reporting to NHS commissioning bodies as required

Regulatory compliance

LYLA operates under the following regulatory frameworks:

• GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council): Inspire Pharmacy holds a valid GPhC registration (No. 2069392). All pharmacists are individually registered with the GPhC.
• NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council): Nurse prescribers working within the service hold current NMC registration.
• MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency): All prescribing and dispensing activities comply with MHRA regulations. Medicines are sourced exclusively from licensed UK suppliers.
• NHS commissioning: The service operates under a formal NHS commissioning arrangement. The service is provided free of charge to eligible UK residents as part of this agreement.
• UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018: Patient health records are processed in accordance with UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) (healthcare provision) and retained for a minimum of 8 years in line with NHS records management standards.

Confidentiality

All consultations are strictly confidential. Patient data is not shared with GPs, family members, employers, or any third party without the patient's explicit consent, except where a legal or clinical duty of care requires disclosure.

Medication is dispatched in plain, unmarked packaging with no indication of the contents or sender on the outer packaging.

Website content classification

This website is a regulated healthcare service providing clinical information and medical consultation services relating to contraception. All content is published for the purpose of healthcare provision and patient education. This website does not contain adult entertainment, pornographic, or sexually explicit material of any kind. It is intended for general audiences seeking access to regulated medical services.

Contact and concerns

If you have a clinical concern, a complaint, or a question about your care, please contact the team directly:

• WhatsApp: +44 7435 243728
• You may also raise concerns with the GPhC: pharmacyregulation.org