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Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has launched its third annual Pressures Survey to uncover the various challenges encountered by individuals owning or working in a community pharmacy. The Committee expressed concern that community pharmacies in England are now in a critical situation, significantly affecting workload, stress levels, patients, and businesses. The 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey is aimed at finding out more about these issues and other areas such as medicines supply problems and workforce challenges as well as the recently launched Pharmacy First service, it said. CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that they were able to receive a huge number of responses in previous surveys and they are expecting to achieve a similar level of engagement this year too.

The implementation of the 2017 standards for the initial education and training of pharmacy technicians (IETPT) has improved the performance and preparedness for practice among recently registered pharmacy technicians and the wider workforce, according to a new study. Results of the 2023 research study commissioned by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) showed that 72 per cent of pharmacy technicians felt "well prepared" for practice after training. More number of pharmacy technicians in the community pharmacy expressed readiness for practice (82 per cent) than their peers in the hospital pharmacy (64 peer cent). Led by the Centre for Pharmacy Workforce Studies (CPWS) at the University of Manchester and the consultancy service, ICF, the study involved 142 recently registered pharmacy technicians and 21 employers and supervisors of trainees. Overall, 96 per cent of the surveyed respondents believed that the course effectively covered person-centred care, professionalism and professional knowledge and skills.

Britain almost doubled the number of visas awarded to foreign migrants coming to work in the health and care sector last year, government data showed, adding to pressure on prime minister Rishi Sunak over immigration ahead of the next general election. Immigration is one of the top three concerns for voters as the country gears up for an election expected later this year. Trailing the opposition Labour party in the polls, Sunak has vowed to bring it down. But data released on Thursday by Home Office was the latest set of statistics to show the scale of the challenge he faces. Britain granted 337,240 work visas in 2023, 26 per cent higher than in 2022, with the rise largely driven by those coming to the country to work in the care home sector. That follows figures released in November which showed annual net migration to the UK hit a record 745,000 in 2022 and has stayed high since. Visas under the 'Skilled Worker - Health and Care' route almost doubled, Thursday's data showed, rising by 91 per cent to 146,477 last year.

NHS England is encouraging people to get their flu and Covid vaccines as hospitals dealt with the highest number of norovirus and flu cases this winter. An average of 688 patients with norovirus were in hospital each day last week, 75 per cent higher than the same time last year (393), according to the latest data from NHS England. The data also showed an average of 2,226 patients with flu in hospital each day last week, which is three-quarters higher than the same week last January (1,290). Compared to last month, there has been an 80 per cent increase in the daily count of norovirus cases and 70 per cent in flu cases. In the week ending Dec 31, NHSE recorded 1,312 hospital admissions due to norovirus and 376 and 1,312 flu cases each day.

The UK has witnessed a nearly 50 percent increase in pharmacy closures this year compared to the same period in 2023, which was already considered the worst year in recent memory. A new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 177 pharmacies closed their doors between January and April 2024, compared to 116 in the same period last year. This is the equivalent of 10 local pharmacies shutting down every week. Analysis of NHS figures by the NPA showed that 403 pharmacies closed their doors last year, nearly five times higher than the number that closed in 2022. Since 2017, over 1,400 pharmacies have shut down across the UK. Rising costs and declining real terms funding have led to the fastest rate of closures in decades, said the NPA, highlighting that "real terms funding has decreased by 40 per cent over the last decade."

"Record long NHS waits are forcing huge numbers of people out of work, including doctors and nurses," said Wes Streeting MP, Labour's Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary as Labour announced a new partnership with Nuffield Health today to tackle joint pain issues among NHS staff and reducing waiting lists. Musculoskeletal problems, including back, knee, hip, and neck pain, are the second leading cause of NHS staff absences, surpassed only by mental health issues. In December 2023 alone, NHS workers missed a record 198,000 days due to these issues, marking a 13 per cent increase from the 174,000 days recorded in December 2019. Nurses and health visitors accounted for 52,000 of these days, up from 47,000 pre-pandemic, while doctors took 3,500 days off, a 9 per cent increase from 2019. The partnership with Nuffield Health will provide up to 4,000 extra places for NHS staff in Nuffield Health's Joint Pain Programme at no cost.

"If the Government does not support community pharmacies with the relevant funding, then we will see a massive number of closures," warns Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA). The Fight4Pharmacies campaign, led by the IPA, is urging prime minister Rishi Sunak to address a critical £1.2 billion funding shortfall that threatens the survival of independent pharmacies across the UK. This urgent plea comes as 1,000 community pharmacies have closed since 2019 due to rising operational costs and insufficient reimbursements. On May 21, supporters of the Fight4Pharmacies campaign, along with 50 MPs including prominent figures like Priti Patel and Gavin Williamson, delivered a petition to Downing Street. The petition, Prescription to Save Our Pharmacies outlines how independent community pharmacies can be supported to ensure smooth running of pharmacies.

Insect bites and stings typically increase in the summer in England. This year, however, there's been an earlier-than-usual spike in the number of people seeking NHS advice on the condition. According to the NHS England, visits to its insect bites and stings web page have nearly tripled in the last three weeks compared to the same period last year, peaking at an average of one visit every 22 seconds in the past week. Over the span of 21 days, a total of 68,986 visited the page, marking a significant 162 per cent increase compared to the 26,368 visits recorded in the first three weeks of May 2023. Although insect bites or stings are usually not serious and people tend to get better after a few days, the health service has cautioned that they can lead to infection or severe allergic reactions. People are encouraged to refer to the NHS website for advice or visit their local pharmacy to get advice and treatment for common health conditions, including infected insect bites.

As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces the forthcoming UK general election, pharmacy bodies are calling on all political parties to commit to solving the issues facing the sector. The next UK general election will be held on 4 July, Sunak announced it on Wednesday afternoon during a press conference outside 10 Downing Street. "As the election is called it's imperative that any incoming government addresses the crisis in primary care and the looming cliff edge facing pharmacies, which for millions of people are the front door to the NHS and a crucial source of frontline health care," said Paul Rees, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Noting that the first responsibility of the government is to keep its people safe and healthy, he emphasised the importance of addressing the "deep funding gap that is pushing record numbers of pharmacies to the edge of closure and beyond, exacerbating the issues of waiting lists for GPs and hospital care."

In a collaborative effort, the National Health Services England (NHSE) is set to deliver the RSV(respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination programme where pharmacists alongside other healthcare professionals will play a crucial role in administering the vaccine. The UK Health Security Agency has announced the launch of the new vaccination programme targeting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), set to begin on 1 September 2024. Along with GPs, NHS England (NHSE) will "commission a number of community pharmacies to deliver the programme", ensuring broad accessibility and coverage to protect two high-risk groups: older adults and pregnant women. RSV is an RNA virus related to mumps, measles, and human parainfluenza viruses. It commonly causes coughs and colds in winter, transmitted through droplets and secretions from close contact with infected individuals. While most RSV infections are mild, infants under six months and the elderly are particularly susceptible to severe diseases like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, which can lead to hospitalisation.

A recent report published by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has highlighted a significant increase in the number of registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, indicating the expanding role of these professionals in the UK healthcare system. As of May 31, 2024, the GPhC register recorded a total of 90,739 pharmacy professionals, up from 90,604 at the end of April 2024. This includes 64,415 pharmacists and 26,324 pharmacy technicians, maintaining a steady split of 71 per cent pharmacists and 29 per cent pharmacy technicians. This reflects an overall increase of four pharmacists and 131 pharmacy technicians from the previous month. The report underscores the critical role of pharmacy professionals in ensuring high-quality patient care and supporting the operational efficiency of pharmacies.

A new survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has made a concerning revelation about the rise in nursing students contemplating quitting. Nearly half of nursing students in England are contemplating quitting their courses before completion. This alarming trend threatens the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan, published a year ago, which aims to significantly expand the nursing workforce by 2036/37. The survey also highlights a dramatic 20 per cent decrease in the number of students enrolling in nursing degree apprenticeships over the past two academic years. This decline underscores the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by nursing students, including increasing financial pressures due to the cost of living, insufficient teaching and supervision, and mental health issues as the primary reasons for consifdering quitting.

A Labour Party analysis of NHS trust figures has revealed that around 148,000 people died last year while waiting for treatment in England. This is more than double the figure recorded in 2017/18, which stood at around 60,000 deaths. It even surpasses the mortality rate observed in 2021, during the peak of the Covid pandemic. The Labour Party obtained the data through a freedom of information request sent to every NHS trust in England. Out of the 169 acute and community trusts contacted, 80 responded. The total number of deaths reported by the respondents was 61,396. Extrapolating this figure to all trusts would suggest a total of 148,227 deaths.