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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) made a recent announcement that the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) and NHS England (NHSE) have joined forces in a groundbreaking move by signing a Collaboration Charter on AI. This pivotal partnership aims to equip the NHS workforce with the tools and resources to leverage AI technology for enhancing patient care, improving staff experience, and driving operational efficiency. The Charter, endorsed by Minister Burghart, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, and Lord Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DHSC, signifies an important step towards integrating AI into the fabric of the NHS. Under this collaboration, the i.AI team, comprising elite technical experts within the government, will identify opportunities where AI technology can be deployed responsibly to support the NHS. This initiative is expected to streamline processes, optimize resource allocation, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.

Long waiting times for National Health Service (NHS) care are leaving people too sick to work in the UK, which is affecting the country's economy. One in three people missed work in 2022 due to delays in accessing NHS care, revealed a new survey by Pollsters Savanta. The market research consultancy surveyed 2,235 people in the UK this month on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. According to the survey results, 19 per cent of the participants could not go to work as they were waiting for a GP appointment. While 15 per cent of the respondents had to take a long period off work while they waited for treatment or surgery, 12 per cent missed work as they waited for emergency dental treatments. Overall, 36 per cent of those surveyed had missed at least some work because of difficulty getting NHS care.

NHS moves a step ahead towards its efforts to address covid-19 backlogs by opening a new 'planned care' hospital in Berkshire dedicated to non-emergency treatment. Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot, part of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, will focus on cutting waits for routine care with staff prioritising patients who have been waiting longest, including for orthopaedic and ophthalmology services. The hospital houses six operating theatres, 48 inpatient beds and 22 day-case cubicles and provides surgical, diagnostic and outpatient care, and will treat patients across Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. There will also be a range of outpatient services under the same roof including gynaecology, urology and cardiology services. These will be supported by services offering patients endoscopy, physiotherapy, phlebotomy and radiology checks and treatments.

More pharmacies should do NHS Health Checks to improve access, a new study that focuses on ways to improve the lives of people living with obesity, recommends. The report, Levelling Up Obesity Care, by pharma giant Novo Nordisk follows a series of roundtables with patient advocates, healthcare professionals and academics to generate understanding on the future of obesity care in England. Amongst its recommendations, the report says that 'to widen access and alleviate pressure on GP services, consideration should be given to expanding NHS Health Checks in community pharmacy'. NHS Health Checks include a measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI). Those most likely to benefit from a Health Check include people who live in more deprived areas, and are more likely to be living with obesity, says the report.

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB) has called on the new Labour government to prioritise six key actions within its first 100 days to harness the benefits of self-care for the public, the NHS, and the wider economy. Aimed to ease the burden on the NHS, the PAGB hopes that the suggest six key actions would help during the incoming winter illness season. According to PAGB, the NHS deals with approximately 25 million GP appointments and 5 million A&E visits each year for self-treatable conditions. By empowering individuals to manage their own health more effectively, the NHS could potentially save up to £1.7 billion annually. In her letter to Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, urged the government to act promptly.

National Health Services (NHS) patients across England are set to experience a significant enhancement in accessing key healthcare services such as community nursing through the expansion of self-referral options that no longer require a GP appointment. The recent announcement is part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan and is set to offer hundreds of thousands more individuals each month the opportunity to refer themselves for essential services such as "incontinence support", "podiatry", or "hearing tests" without GP referrals. This move aims to alleviate the burden on general practitioners through self-referrals for more than 180,000 patients, allowing them to focus their time and resources on patients in need of immediate care and recover the long waiting times. As per the NHS data, approximately 200,000 people per month self-refer themselves which under the new plan will extend to additional critical services tailored to local population needs to "continue modernising GP, expand pharmacy services, and offer patients more choice in how they access care".

Poverty not only takes a significant toll on people's health but also leads to additional costs for the National Health Service (NHS). Rise in deep poverty, cost-of-living crisis, and high pressure on NHS services have worsened the situation, according to a study published by The King's Fund this week. The report underscored that poverty and deprivation contribute to a greater prevalence of diseases, difficulties in accessing health care, late or delayed treatment, and worse health outcomes. These challenges could be seen across various NHS services, spanning from emergency care to dental services Additionally, it revealed that 30 per cent of people living in the most deprived areas have turned to 999, 111, A&E or a walk-in centre because they could not access a GP appointment. In 2016, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimated the cost of poverty on health care at £29 billion (£34 billion in current prices). As the proportion of people living in deep poverty has risen, the situation has worsened. In 2021/22, six million people were living in very deep poverty, up from 4.5 million two decades ago. Currently, more than one in five people in the UK are estimated to be living in poverty, the report noted. Deprivation is linked to a range of diet-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as mental illness. According to the report, the depression rate is two times higher among people living in the most deprived areas, compared to the least deprived areas.

As we transition in England through yet another NHS organisational change, I ask myself what does this mean for community pharmacy? I would like to think that this change will bring about opportunity and a chance for community pharmacy to showcase and continue the excellent work that was carried out during the height of the pandemic and is still ongoing today. I hope that it allows community pharmacy to be regarded as part of the NHS rather than sitting on the side lines. This change has to lead to better funding for community pharmacy, without sufficient funding we will see more pharmacies close. We are hearing a lot about winter pressures but this year it feels like all year round pressure. What I have seen, whilst the NHS is under such pressure, is North East London (NEL) CCG transitioning to an integrated care board (ICB) almost seamlessly. I have seen people transitioning into new roles, whilst working hard to ensure that all plates are still spinning, which at the moment is no mean feat. I spent a day out recently visiting pharmacies with the chief medical officer of NHS NEL, Dr Paul Gilluley. The visits were positive, we felt listened to and understood. The feedback was great, it was recognised that community pharmacy is often the informal front door to the NHS and that we have so much to offer in terms of ill health prevention. Community pharmacy can offer a total solution as long as we have the tools to do so, which can save so much time and money. An example is the GP CPCS service, which has launched well across NEL.

NHS England has commissioned the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to develop guidance that helps community and hospital pharmacy teams across Britain to reduce the impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines on the environment. The RPS said the Greener Pharmacy Guidance will enable pharmacies to self-assess their impact against the standards, benchmark and improve through evidence-based activities and actions. "I'm delighted our strong commitment to helping pharmacy reduce its environmental impact can now be taken to the next level through developing guidance and accreditation for pharmacy teams," RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said. "Medicines account for 25 per cent of carbon emissions within the NHS and this initiative underscores our commitment to promoting sustainable healthcare and supporting the NHS's goal of achieving 'net zero' emissions by 2040." Peter Morgan, medicines assistant director at NHS England, commented: "Pharmacy staff are involved in the purchasing and dispensing of almost every medicine used in the NHS and the new Greener Pharmacy Guidance and Self-accreditation scheme will provide support for pharmacy professionals by outlining clear actions to deliver more environmentally sustainable pharmacy practices." The RPS said the guidance and digital self-assessment toolkit will integrate with carbon calculator tools to help pharmacy teams to measure their carbon footprint, action plan to reduce use of carbon and improve sustainability.

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has expressed its keenness to work with the NHS nationally and at the ICB level to discuss how the pharmacist workforce can most effectively be part of the multidisciplinary team, after the publication of Long-awaited NHS England workforce plan. Welcoming its publication Alison Jones, PDA Director of Policy said: "It gives greater clarity around the future direction and strategy for professional development, training, and opportunities for those currently working in the health service or considering their future career. There is a strong emphasis on further development of the clinical role of pharmacists to support better patient care. "However, this is a plan that will take years, indeed decades to come to fruition and its success will need to be underpinned by significant funding for its entire life course. Workplace pressures, reductions in support staff, and a lack of protected learning time are matters of immediate concern for many PDA members, issues which are regularly highlighted through activities, such as the safer pharmacies survey.

In a recent report released by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), data from the NHS Pharmacy First service indicates a substantial uptake and positive impact on patient care just two months after its launch. The CCA's findings shed light on the service's efficacy in meeting patient needs and its potential to alleviate pressure on General Practices (GPs) within the NHS. According to the report, over 90,000 Pharmacy First consultations were conducted solely by CCA members within the initial two-month period. Impressively, 88 per cent of these consultations, totaling 81,627, were deemed eligible for NHS-funded care indicating a significant demand for the service among patients. In the first month, the data revealed that more than 90 per cent of eligible patients received necessary care directly through Pharmacy First, bypassing the need for further referral.

Now is the best time for community pharmacy to integrate its model of NHS representation and support to ensure better outcomes for contractors, said James Wood, director of Contractor & LPC Support, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). It is important for the sector to adapt to the new landscape and address challenges such as workforce, digital data, integration of pharmacy services, and medicines optimisation, he said during the first session of the sixth annual Pharmacy Business Conference held online on Tuesday, September 21. Under the new system, every part of England will be covered by integrated care systems (ICSs) from April 2022. ICSs have been created to bring about big changes in how health and care services in England are planned, paid for and delivered. They are a key part of the direction of travel for the NHS as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Several pharmacies have joined the inhaler recycling scheme in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, to support NHS England's Greener NHS programme, which aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. It is part of a collaborative working initiative between the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and AstraZeneca UK Ltd, supported by the Black Country Integrated Care Board and Wolverhampton City Local Pharmaceutical Committee. Under this scheme, old and used inhalers are recycled and transformed into new products, such as coat hangers and waste bins. Simon Evans, group chief strategy officer for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, emphasised the importance of prioritising the reduction of carbon footprint while maintaining high-quality care, to protect the planet for future generations. "The Trust has already made significant achievements in several areas including the physical estate, clinical services, waste recycling, catering and medicines - with this inhaler recycling scheme from pharmacy being the latest string to our bow," he said.

Expressing apprehension over the concerning decline in the nursing workforce, Sir Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, urged the forthcoming government to bolster investment in nursing education and enhance support for student nurses. Recent analysis from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has projected that the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will fall short by 10,000 new nurses by 2025. Commenting on the RCN analysis, Sir Hartley underscored the critical importance of having an adequate number of nurses to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care. "Without enough nurses, the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care is compromised," he said. He cautioned that the predicted shortfall in nurses would exacerbate existing pressures on the NHS, resulting in long waiting times, delayed treatments and staff burnout.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has proposed a new £30 million fund to speed up the adoption of innovative medical technology in the NHS. He confirmed the plan today at the Conservative Party Conference 2023 in Manchester. Mr Barclay said that virtual wards will help healthcare professionals embrace new technology to improve patient care. He said: "It is vital that clinicians have access to the latest technology to save staff time, deliver high-quality care and help cut waiting lists - one of the government's top five priorities. "This investment will see the latest tech innovations rolled out across the NHS. From virtual ward beds to wearable medical devices, patients will be better supported, and we will ease pressures on hospitals this winter. "We're preparing for this winter earlier than ever before including delivering thousands more hospital beds and hundreds of new ambulances."

The government's 200 million dental recovery plan has come under fierce criticism from the opposition party after health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom admitted that there is a "high likelihood" that it will not deliver 2.5 million dental appointments. Published last month, the plan is aimed at ensuring easier and faster access to NHS dental care across England, with up to 1.5 million extra treatments expected to be delivered over the next 12 months. Various new measures were set out to attract new dentists, including increasing dental training places by up to 40 per cent by 2032, as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. On Tuesday, Leadsom told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee that the figure was based on NHS modelling of a "complicated set of factors" and there is "quite a high likelihood of not being reliable as is the case with all modelling." Preeti Kaur Gill MP, shadow minister for primary care and public health, expressed shock over the admission by the public health minister that there is uncertainty regarding the plan's ability to deliver on its promises, which she said: "shows the Conservatives are out of ideas and out of time."

Health secretary Sajid Javid vouches support for a "pharmacy first" model of care for minor illnesses, to help clear the backlog of NHS care arising due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the National Pharmacy Association's (NPA) centenary dinner in central London on Wednesday (November 24), Javid said he wanted to "go further" than existing services like the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, to make it "quicker and easier" for people to access primary care. He said: "I want to see how much further we can go. That's one of the reasons why we're working up plans for a pharmacy first model in England that will direct more patients directly to pharmacies without having to go to see their GPs. This will help us to beat the backlog and make sure that even more people can benefit from (pharmacists') brilliant advice and care." Expressing his commitment to transform every aspect of health and care in the country he said that community pharmacies should be "at the very heart of primary care - not just treating people but preventing people from becoming patients in the first place."

NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued the patient group direction (PGD) and national protocol for community pharmacy contractors to support flu vaccination of the frontline primary care staff. This follows the announcement pertaining to eligibility of frontline primary care staff for NHS flu vaccinations this season. With the release of protocol, vaccination of these staff can now be commenced as part of the service. Contractors have to keep a manual record of the number of primary care staff they vaccinate in the service and report the same each month on the NHS Business Services Authority's Manage Your Service (MYS) platform.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have both urged the new health secretary Steve Barclay to back the 'pharmacy first' approach in England as mentioned by his predecessor on numerous occasions. "Sajid Javid recognised the vital role of community pharmacy and the potential of a 'Pharmacy First' to support patient access to care. I would urge the new Health Secretary to see this through to completion," said chair of RPS in England Thorrun Govind. Thorrun hopes the new health secretary will engage with pharmacy leaders about how we can make the most of our health and care workforce to support the NHS recovery, including reducing health inequalities, managing the growing cost of long-term conditions, and utilising the enhanced skills of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers. Commenting on the new appointment, she said: "This is a crucial time for the future of health and care - with continued pressures on teams, changes to NHS structures and organisations, and the need for long-term investment in the workforce. "With a 'refresh' of the NHS Long-Term Plan and the Government's workforce plan expected later this year, these must support a more ambitious approach to advancing the clinical role of pharmacists across the NHS to better meet changing patient demand, backed by investment in pharmacy education and training.

Community pharmacy contractors are likely to receive more referrals from NHS 111 for the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) following a review of the NHS Pathway algorithms, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) announced on Friday (January 14). The review, conducted by an expert group of Integrated Urgent Care clinicians and pharmacists, led to inclusion of more minor illness symptoms for referral to the CPCS from NHS 111. The reviews based on data from 2021, showed it could generate 275,000 additional referral opportunities annually. With the introduction of changes, three new condition types (scratches and grazes, teething, sinusitis) and general health information requests will be added.