Both head of customer operations Dan Britton and chief executive Michael Brodie at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) have won the Inspiring Leaders Award, which recognises leaders for their humanity and courage.
The coveted award, organised by Inspiring Workplaces, recognised their contribution during the pandemic.
Under Brodie's leadership, who joined the organisation as chief executive in September 2019, NHSBSA started over 50 new services to support the wider NHS.
He also led Public Health England (PHE) through its transition to the new UK Health Security Agency.
Miranda Sykes, head of communications and marketing at NHSBSA said: "Michael is an inspirational leader for many reasons. He cares immensely and he's spent the pandemic thinking about others and using his influence to support the NHS over the last 18 months or so."
His decision to take up an additional CEO role while transforming the PHE during the pandemic shows "Michael's style of leadership is authentic, inclusive and empathetic. He is passionate about the NHS and doing everything he can to support it."
England's chief pharmaceutical officer David Webb on Friday (July 22) officially opened a community health hub at a Hindu temple in west London.
The interactive health hub, which was built as part of the 'Festival of Inspiration' - a 10-day cultural celebration of the UK's South Asian Hindu communities, will
provide visitors with free health awareness and well-being advice.
The cultural extravaganza, which ends on July 31, draws upon the inspiring life, work and wisdom of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, one of the world's great
spiritual leaders and creator of the iconic Neasden Temple.
Sharing his reflection on the festival and the health hub, Webb said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to visit and be a part of the Festival of Inspiration on the
hundredth centenary of His Holiness. I've been really impressed by the extensive programme of engagement with the community to improve health and wellbeing."
Senior pharmacist Prof Mahendra Patel accompanied Webb during the opening ceremony.
Asian Media Group will hold the inaugural Pharmacy Business Diversity Conference on Thursday December 9 - a ground-breaking event exploring and showcasing
diversity and inclusion in the pharmaceutical industry.
The conference, themed 'Change the Ratio', will be be chaired by BBC presenter Clive Myrie and held virtually between 10am and 5pm.
While both both RPS and ABPI are supporting the conference as associate sponsors, Well Pharmacy, the UK's largest independent pharmacy chain, is the headline sponsor
of the event that will have some of Britain's most inspiring leaders and influential diversity and inclusion practitioners.
These leaders will share their knowledge and experience whilst offering tangible steps to positively promote and implement diversity, inclusion and equality in workplace.
Check pharmacy business website for more information.
A pair of pharmacist brothers, who also own a popular restaurant in Kent, have started an innovative initiative 'Jabs with Kebabs' to encourage their community in England to come forward and take their Covid-19 vaccines.
Rav and Raj Chopra, who own V's Punjabi Grill, an Indian restaurant in Gravesend, established the walk-in vaccine site after their father, Jagtar Chopra, became unwell with Covid-19 last year.
The duo is among thousands to volunteer for the National Health Service (NHS) vaccine programme.
Talking to the PA news agency, Raj said he was inspired by the experience of his father, who got infected with the virus and has fully recovered since then.
"From a personal point of view, it was very debilitating to see Dad like that," said Raj Chopra. "It got everyone's emotions in play.
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has announced that he will step down as deputy chief medical officer (DCMO) for England at the end of March to take up a new role at the University of Nottingham.
He joined Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on secondment from the university in 2017, and will soon return to be the pro-vice-chancellor for Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences.
Professor Van-Tam said: "My time as DCMO have been the most challenging of my professional career, especially the Covid response. We all wish Covid had never happened.
Notwithstanding, it has been the greatest privilege of my professional career to have served the people of the UK during this time.
"I want to pay tribute to Professor Chris Whitty, the CMO team, my fellow scientists, public health professionals and clinicians whose support, wisdom and energy has been inspiring.
"I will continue to work until the end of March and look forward to the next challenge."
As the DCMO for Health Protection, he has played key roles in various incidents, including domestic outbreaks of MERS and monkeypox, 2017 to 2018 influenza season
and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Throughout the past decade, digital transformation has been at the forefront of the agenda for the NHS which has been accelerated by the abundance of digitally enabled ways of working during the pandemic. While the last year has unquestionably heralded the spring shoots of transformation, there is so much to be done to build upon this and accelerate further.
For example, do both pharmacists and patients comprehend the value of digital to drive change at a fundamental level? The issue is not simply ensuring that the temporary fixes inspired by the pandemic successfully transition to standard practice, but also rapidly building on that foundation to enable the greatest
value from digitisation within pharmacy.
Covid-19 has increased the need for digitally enabled and empowered ways of operating. From the backlog in outpatient appointments to postponed screening programmes and, crucially, the potential exodus of overworked and stressed pharmacists, the efficient, effective and intelligent care enabled by the right digital technologies is now critical.
Pharmacist Support, a charity centred on bolstering pharmacist well-being, has launched the 'ACTNow' campaign 2023, aimed at promoting and supporting the
health and overall wellbeing of pharmacists. This campaign is launched following the successful 2022 initiative, which heightened awareness about wellbeing in
the pharmacy profession.
Launched in May 2020 in response to COVID-19 challenges, ACTNow has transformed into a dynamic platform fostering positive workplace culture, teamwork, and
individual well-being, Pharmacist Support has said. Its primary goals are to inspire individuals and teams in the profession to prioritise their well-being,
support colleagues, and proactively foster a healthier work environment.
Pharmacist Support emphasised that the 2023 ACTNow campaign will continue to prioritise fostering a positive workplace culture. "This year, the campaign will
provide individuals, pharmacy teams, and employers with essential tools, resources, and strategies to effectively support colleagues dealing with distress,
all while cultivating a growth-oriented mindset within their teams," the charity firm said.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland has launched an online pharmacy best practice hub to showcase the best practices adopted by pharmacy teams in
Scotland.
The brand new pharmacy best practice hub, hosted on the RPS Scotland website, went live on Thursday (August 11).
RPS Scotland said: "Pharmacy teams across Scotland are undertaking fantastic work right now, in a variety of settings including community, hospital and general
practice pharmacy as well as specialist settings.
Many of these examples demonstrate the very best in pharmacy practice, which is supporting the profession to move further towards RPS Scotland's professional vision
for the future of pharmacy, Pharmacy 2030."
RPS wants to celebrate and share these examples with healthcare professionals, government, politicians, the public and potential pharmacy students to inspire people
into the profession. It also provides a fantastic opportunity for pharmacy teams to share their practice with each other across the country.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has re-elected Andrew Carruthers as chair of RPS Scotland Pharmacy Board.
Andrew is a Medicines Governance pharmacist within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where he has a clinical commitment to Care of the Elderly. Prior to becoming a
pharmacist, he studied Pharmacology at the University of Glasgow, and maintains a keen interest in pharmacokinetics and research.
In his address for the position, he said: "In my second term I want to continue to support and drive the introduction of RPS Ambassadors and the creation of an
online RPS community."
"As a previous RPS local coordinator, I've seen first-hand that RPS Local events are a great forum to formally support the training and development of local
pharmacists. With input from our members and RPS staff we could share learning, inspire, and enable development, and build a supportive online community for the
profession."
He was the RPS Local Co-ordinator for Greater Glasgow and Clyde for 3 years, then he co-opted on to the Scottish Pharmacy Board (SPB) in 2018 and have been an
active and effective member of the board. He was re-elected to the board in 2021 and he stood and was elected as Chair.
As part of its centenary celebrations, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised more than eleven thousand pounds for mental health charity Mind.
A total of £11,583 was raised for Mind and the Association continues to encourage members to support the charity.
The NPA marked its 100th birthday in 2021 and partnered with Mind in England and Wales, and equivalent charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland - SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and Inspire Wellbeing - to raise awareness of pharmacy services for people with mental health problems and to generate funds for the work of these charities.
The NPA held set-piece events, such as sponsored walks, and pharmacists, colleagues and their families and friends were encouraged to organise their own activities.
Chief executive of the NPA, Mark Lyonette, said: "I was delighted to be at our sponsored walk in St Albans, home of our head office, last year. This and other fundraising events all underlined the message that community pharmacies are concerned with the wellbeing of the whole person - mind as well as body."
The hybrid professional and leadership session underscores the Sigma Conference's significance in offering hope and inspiration to its delegates. This
pioneering venture unfolds following meticulous planning, months of deliberation, and the collaboration of experts from various health disciplines across the UK.
This session, rich in diversity and expertise, aims to elevate the role of community pharmacy in the ever-evolving landscape of the NHS.
It comprises three key components and delves into multi-professional collaboration, insights from NHS Chief Professional Officers from the four devolved nations
complimented by the Royal College of Nursing Directorate Wales, and the evolving landscape of Pharmacy Professional Leadership.
Multi-Professional Collaboration: Breaking Boundaries
The crux of this ground-breaking session lies in appreciating and fostering greater multi-professional collaboration to set the stage for a thought-provoking
session on how community pharmacy can be recognised as an important cog in the wheel of an integrated NHS. This convergence creates a dynamic platform for community
pharmacy to form wider partnerships and explore opportunities, particularly with the recently launched NHS Pharmacy First Service.
The incredible consequences that drug misuse has imposed on humans in the last few years make it one of the most pressing issues facing such nations.
A person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol often turns to these substances as a crutch while they're going through tough times. Taking the drug regularly
becomes habitual since it provides short-term relief without permanently resolving the issue. An important part of becoming sober is learning to substitute
better routines for the addict's old, harmful ones. These self-care routines and healthy habits are much better ways to deal with stress. Here we will explain
how healthy behavior throughout addiction recovery is simply one of many methods to adapt to life after treatment.
Physical Activity
Scientific studies have shown that physical activity increases levels of two hormones. dopamine and serotonin, which are linked to better mood. A more positive
outlook, restful sleep, and enhanced general health are all possible outcomes of these hormones. In the early stages of your rehabilitation, it is wise to start
an exercise regimen that you have never done before. You may find new sober friends and interactions, as well as inspiration to improve your physical health, by
connecting with other people who share your interests in physical activity. In the early stages of recovery, having sober friends may be really helpful since it
allows you to connect with those who understand what you're going through. Friendships formed in early recovery often continue long after the addict has left the
program, according to many people in recovery.
At the Future of Britain Conference 2024, the newly appointed Secretary of Health and Social Care, (DHSC) Wes Streeting, stated that "Labour's DNA is in
the NHS".
He also called for a long-term approach to reform the broken health sector and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to steer the healthcare system
towards sustainability and growth.
Hosted by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and My Life My Say today, Tuesday, 9, Streeting discussed the plans to fix the healthcare system and role of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in "making the right choices" by bringing in three essential shifts in the healthcare.
Criticising the previous Conservative administration for leaving "massive burning deck issues" due to constant reshuffling within the Department of Health and
Social Care (DHSC), Streeting lamented that this "instability" and "indecisions" have made comprehensive reform even more pressing.
Drawing inspiration from Chancellor Rachel Reeves' speech on economic growth, Streeting stressed the interconnectedness of health and economic prosperity.
Join us for the prestigious Pharmacy Business Awards 2023, celebrating excellence in community pharmacy. Attend the glittering ceremony in London
and witness industry leaders, officials, and ministers. Submit your entry now and showcase the unique services of community pharmacy.
Nomination deadline: July 7th, 2023.