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Wes Streeting's speech at the Labour Party Conference 2024 outlines several key health and social care reforms, which hold significant implications for community pharmacy in England. His focus on reforming and rebuilding the NHS to ensure fair, universal access to care, with prevention and early intervention at its core, presents both opportunities and challenges for community pharmacy. Here are the potential implications: 1. Prevention Focus Streeting's vision of a shift from a reactive, hospital-based model to a preventive healthcare system presents a promising future for community pharmacies. These changes could significantly reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals, integrating pharmacies more closely into primary care networks and enhancing their role in preventive care. 2. Digital Transformation The move from an "analogue to digital" NHS could see community pharmacies adopting more digital tools and systems for service delivery. This would likely involve greater use of digital prescribing, telehealth consultations, and AI-driven services. Pharmacies will need to invest in digital infrastructure and ensure that pharmacy professionals are trained to operate within a more tech-centric environment. 3. Reform and Redistribution of Services Streeting's plans to extend choice and equitable access to services mean that community pharmacies could become integral to providing care in underserved or disadvantaged areas. With a focus on decentralising healthcare and bringing it closer to local communities, community pharmacies could play a more significant role in supporting healthcare delivery in areas where GP services are stretched. This may include expanding access to pharmacy services in the most deprived areas, aligning with Labour's emphasis on addressing health inequalities.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined his plans for NHS reform on Friday (21 April), where he also mentioned a desire to see pharmacies take on more workload and pharmacists' clinical skills to be better utilised. In his speech, he also expressed concern at warnings from the pharmacy sector and pharmacy closures. The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) appreciated Shadow Health Secretary's desire to enhance pharmacies' role in primary care reform but also stated that the sector is in urgently needs a funding injection. Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) comment: "We are pleased to see the Shadow Health Secretary recognise the enhanced role that pharmacies should play in primary care reform. Mr Streeting wants to see care brought closer to people's homes and more front doors into the NHS. With 89.2% of the population located within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, pharmacies do just that. They are essential to realising his vision of a 'neighbourhood health service'. Pharmacies could free up over 42m GP appointments annually, including 10m vaccination appointments. Urgent same-day appointments for minor conditions in pharmacies will immediately benefit patients by increasing GP access. The first step is for the Government to immediately commission a fully-funded Pharmacy First service in England.

The NHS plans to train hundreds of pharmacy staff, expanding their ability to provide advanced clinical services and assume wider roles in dispensing medicines. With a targeted launch in September, up to 840 pharmacy technicians can join in the training programme. The online modules will cover consultation skills, therapeutics, clinical decision-making, assessment skills, and service improvement. "Community pharmacies are pivotal in local communities, and this novel training scheme empowers them to extend their service offerings to a wider patient base," said Health Minister Neil O'Brien. "Through our investment in the workforce, we're bolstering the implementation of the Pharmacy First initiative with £645 million, ensuring patients have access to expert assistance for various common ailments, including urinary tract infections and earaches." NHS said the training will offer flexibility to align with the working schedules and prior experience of community pharmacy technicians. It will combine independent online e-course study, educational supervision, and clinical skills training. Facilitated workshops will concentrate on enhancing clinical assessment skills and applying knowledge and skills through case studies, practice activities, and group discussions.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has republished a three-year-old report which underscores the vital role of community pharmacists and pharmacy t echnicians in a 'modern NHS' amid speculations that the government is set to announce plans to enhance the role of community pharmacy teams. PDA's 2019 report which "took three year to compile" highlighted significant empirical evidence and made recommendations to develop the roles of both community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the skill mix required to meet patients' needs. It examined in detail the role of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy. The PDA still that pressure on the NHS can be managed much more effectively through the better use of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In the community pharmacy setting, it is evident that if the further development of the pharmacist's role is to be facilitated and pharmacists are to become more patient facing in the future, an extended role and greater responsibility for pharmacy technicians is not only desirable, but ultimately it is essential.

Pharmacies and other spaces should be able to facilitate the provision of health care to bring services closer to patients and reduce demands on general practice, suggested a report by Tony Blair Institute. In a paper 'Modern and Sustainable NHS Providing Accessible and Personalised Care for All', it has propose six areas for reform where radical-but-practical policy action will begin to transform the future of the NHS and deliver better patient care. It has proposed to create new access routes for services and providers. It added: "The range and availability of health-care services must increase to reflect citizens' demands and their increasingly complex needs. "Pharmacies, gyms, supermarkets, workplaces and other spaces should all be able to provide or facilitate the provision of health care, bringing services closer to patients and reducing demands on general practice. It suggested: "We must move towards greater community-based care and the creation of a neighbourhood health service, with more routes for direct patient access, to ensure services are available when and where people need them. These should all be accessible through a single, simple digital front door to the NHS."

In a delightful announcement, the University of Brighton has honoured NHS England's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, David Webb with its prestigious Doctor of Science honorary degree Webb's award is a highlight of the university's graduation ceremony which celebrated the graduation of over 3,400 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 92 countries at the Brighton Centre this week. The accolade recognises Webb's transformative work in the pharmacy services within the NHS, highlighting the profound impact his contributions have had on delivery of healthcare across the UK. Under Webb's leadership, significant advancements have been made in integrating pharmacy into NHS care pathways, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing the role of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the healthcare system. Webb expressed his honour stating, "I am delighted to receive the honorary award of Doctor of Science from the University of Brighton in recognition of both my contribution to pharmacy in the NHS"

Scotland's first minister, John Swinney, has announced the expansion of the NHS Pharmacy First Service as part of the government's strategy to shift more care into communities. However, Numark chairman Harry McQuillan has stressed the need for additional funding to support this expansion effectively. Speaking at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh on 27 January 2025, Swinney outlined the government's plans for enhancing public services and renewing the NHS, promising a significant boost in NHS Scotland's capacity to reduce waiting times. Recognising the importance of identifying new approaches, Swinney underscored the critical role of community pharmacies in easing pressure on GP services. He said: "I want to see the NHS Scotland Pharmacy First Service expand so that community pharmacies can treat a greater number of clinical conditions and prevent the need for a GP visit in the first place." McQuillan welcomed the announcement, stating that this advancement will "empower pharmacists to provide even greater value, leveraging their clinical expertise to deliver comprehensive care directly to patients." However, he noted that the sector should be provided with extra funding to support this expansion.

The National Health Service said that over 425,000 patients have utilised its new national online service to complete GP registration within its inaugural year. The GP surgery registration service, managed by NHS England, has granted NHS patients efficient and user-friendly access to GP registration since its inception in August 2022. According to the NHS, more than 1,400 GP surgeries, a fifth of the national count, have joined the NHS online registration service as part of a new plan to improve access to primary care. "This aligns with a new strategy to enhance primary care access, with a target of enrolling 2,000 practices in the Register with a GP surgery service by December 2023." Many GP surgeries still use paper forms, requiring patients to visit surgeries to collect paperwork. However, the new online service has been shown to save GP surgery staff up to 15 minutes per registration by helping to reduce paperwork and admin time, the NHS said. The NHS said that this service enables patients to register with a local GP online at any time, eliminating the need for in-person visits and simplifying the process for both patients and GP surgeries.

Online pharmacy Pharmacy2U, acquires LloydsDirect in a merger for a single digital-first pharmacy. The companies issued a statement on 9 October and confirmed that they would operate as Pharmacy2U. It would also have a total of 1.4 million EPS nominations, as confirmed by NHS recent data. They are planning to enhance patient accessibility to online pharmacy and healthcare services through their combined services. Kevin Heath, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacy2U, said: "We are delighted to welcome the LloydsDirect team into the Pharmacy2U family. Combining the best of both of our businesses, we can provide patients with greater access and convenience.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and NHS England have agreed that community pharmacy contractors will have to participate in one mandatory national health campaign. This campaign on weight management commenced from Tuesday (03 January) and will run until Sunday (29January). PSNC said: "Pharmacies can be required to participate in up to six health campaigns at the request of NHS England per year (1st April to 31st March). Pharmacies will be involved by displaying and distributing leaflets provided by NHS England. In addition, pharmacies are required to undertake prescription-linked interventions on major areas of public health concern, such as encouraging smoking cessation. "Contractors can order pharmacy specific posters, wallet cards ('info' cards with a QR code signposting people to the Better Health website and free tips and tools to lose weight) and a dispenser for these cards on the Campaign Resource Centre website. A guidance leaflet to support community pharmacy teams' conversations with patients is also available," said PSNC.

Maxine McCabe has made history as the first community pharmacist in the UK to be credentialed as a core advanced pharmacist by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Scotland. Announcing McCabe's achieving, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) stated that this credential demonstrates her expertise across the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical, leadership and management, educating others and research. Maxine has worked in the community pharmacy sector since qualifying as a pharmacist in 2008, consistently showing a keen interest in developing the wider pharmacy team and enhancing clinical services for the local patient population. Throughout her career, she has managed various community pharmacies, including Boots and Parkhead Health Centre Pharmacy, where she played a crucial role in developing pharmacy practice and nurturing pharmacy support roles and trainee pharmacists. In 2023, Maxine took on a part-time role as a Senior Educator in the Prescribing & Clinical Skills teams at NHS Education for Scotland (NES). She continues to practice as a pharmacist, leading the Teach and Treat Training Hub at Burnside Pharmacy in Lanarkshire. McCabe expressed her excitement about the recognition, saying, "I am delighted to obtain my Advanced Practice credential and showcase that this is achievable in community pharmacy."

David Webb, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, acknowledged that the "pressure in the system is high", but urged everyone to "keep our eye on the design" of the NHS plan, adding that the "the objective is to bring the different parts of primary care together" in the patient interest. Speaking during the opening keynote session at the the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) conference held on Thursday (13 October), he added that the NHS plan intends to bring different parts of primary care together to help patients. He said the new integrated care boards (ICBs) are a key strategic framework as they provide the "potential to form partnerships to deliver integrated services across larger populations". "ICBs will want to work with Local Pharmaceutical Committees to plan for the local population and the new community pharmacy clinical leads in ICBs, who have been funded by NHS England, are there to advise." He explained that once an ICB takes over the commissioning of pharmaceutical services (which they are all due to do by April 2023), it could use its funds to commission a local enhanced service as an add on to an advanced service. For instance, a CVD risk assessment could be added to the blood pressure check service.

The NHS England and Improvement has announced the emergency provisions introduced during pandemic to provide flexible opening hours for pharmacy contractors end today. The flexibilities were enacted in March 2020 when changes to the Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services and Emergency Declaration) Directions 2020 were made following a declaration of emergency at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the flexibilities have permitted temporary opening hours and closures during a specified period due to a genuine Covid-19 related emergency. NHS England and Improvement has advised pharmacy contractors that the emergency declaration will not be extended further and will expire on 31 March 2022. Pharmacy contractors will therefore no longer have the option to close pharmacies within their agreed contracted hours with the NHS.

The government has earmarked £200 million to enhance NHS resilience and expedite patient care during the upcoming winter season. This extra amount will bolster the health service during its busiest period, while protecting elective care so we can keep cutting waiting lists, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said. On August 13, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary met with clinical leaders and NHS Chiefs to strategise and refine planning for urgent and emergency care, while prioritising the preservation of waiting list targets for the upcoming winter season. "Patients can be reassured that I will always back the NHS, so that those who most need help and support will get the care they need," Sunak said. "Winter is the most challenging time for the health service, which is why we've been planning for it all year - with huge government investment to fund new ambulances, beds and virtual wards." "This £200 million investment, assured by the Department of Health and Social Care as new and additional funding, should aid NHS leaders in their preparations and mitigation for what will be a seriously difficult winter period," said Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of NHS Confederation. "The priority now is swift allocation of funding to local systems for optimal utilisation."

Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has pledged to enhance the role of community pharmacies, particularly in deprived areas, by making better use of the skills of pharmacy teams. In a video message at the SIGMA UK Community Pharmacy Conference 2024 on Sunday, Kinnock also announced plans to expand the Pharmacy First initiative and introduce an independent prescribing service, making prescribing an integral part of the service delivered by community pharmacies. He said: "Since taking on the role of minister of state for care in government, my message has been very clear: we must get our fantastic primary care sector back on its feet to be able to deliver for our patients. "This government is committed to shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, and pharmacies will play a vital role in that." Kinnock acknowledged the pressures faced by the sector and expressed concerns that so many community pharmacies have exited the market over the past decade.

Acknowledging the ongoing challenges in delivering the required IT systems for the scheduled launch of the Pharmacy First service on January 31, NHS England reported progress in fulfilling 'many' commitments outlined in its plan to enhance primary care access during a board meeting on Thursday. However, it noted that the digital infrastructure supporting Pharmacy First, included in the £645 million fresh funding for community pharmacy, will require additional time for implementation. "Delivery remains challenging due to changes needed in digital infrastructure, and we are working with suppliers to support January implementation," NHSE said. "A public campaign is planned for 2024." The Pharmacy First service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common health conditions (sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women), eliminating the need for a GP visit. Meanwhile, NHSE is leveraging the widespread accessibility of pharmacies by expanding blood pressure monitoring and introducing direct prescribing of clinically safe oral contraceptives-an initiative that has been well-received.

The National Pharmacy Association has announced the theme for this year's 'Ask Your Pharmacist Week' campaign - 'Meet Your Local Pharmacy Team'. The campaign, scheduled for October 30 to November 6, seeks to enhance awareness of pharmacy services and initiate dialogues with local stakeholders, highlighting the role and advantages of community pharmacy, the NPA said in a statement. NPA has organised an array of promotional activities, spanning window displays, social media engagements, partnerships with patient groups, radio and TV interviews, and visits to pharmacies by local dignitaries and politicians during the week. "AYP Week 2023 will acquaint individuals with the pharmacist's skill set and the broader community pharmacy workforce, showcasing their collaborative efforts in delivering a secure and efficient service, encompassing NHS clinical care," said Stephen Fishwick, NPA's Head of Communications. "As always, the NPA will furnish campaign resources for our members and other participants interested in engaging with this enduring initiative."

Nine in ten people surveyed by Ipsos on behalf on NHS positively rated the advice they received from their local pharmacies. The results from Ipsos found that the vast majority of patients (91%) who had used a community pharmacy in the previous year for advice about medicines, a health problem or injury, or what health service they should use said they received good advice. The research comes as more than 11,000 pharmacies in England can now access training to spot signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumours earlier when they are easier to treat. Thorrun Govind, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board, said: "Community pharmacists are working exceptionally hard to make sure that the public gets the right advice at the right time. This new data shows the public appreciate both the accessibility and quality of advice they receive from community pharmacists. "I am delighted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working with the NHS to deliver professional development for community pharmacists to further enhance their clinical consultation skills.

The full-time equivalent community pharmacy workforce saw a 6 per cent decline in a year, while the overall number of pharmacists remains nearly constant, according to NHS England's Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2022. However, vacancy rates among pharmacists rose 16 percent, suggesting an increased reliance on locum pharmacists who, on average, work fewer hours, the data revealed. According to NHSE, the mandated survey released (Aug. 3) achieved a 95 per cent completion rate among pharmacy contractors, marking a substantial increase compared to only 47 per cent in the previous year. The survey results indicate a shift in working patterns within community pharmacy, with locum pharmacists being utilised more frequently as part of the staffing model. The survey revealed a 6 per cent decrease in the community pharmacy workforce across all roles combined. The number of full-time equivalent pharmacists working in community pharmacy decreased by 2,411, from 20,255 in 2021 to 17,844 in 2022, the survey found. The employed pharmacists decreased by 16 per cent from 12,774 in 2021 to 10,943 in 2022, while locum pharmacists increased by 26 per cent from 4,297 in 2021 to 5,477 in 2022, NHSE said.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has launched a four point plan at its parliamentary drop-in event for MPs and peers hosted on Tuesday (15 November). The event lasted for two hours, during which MPs had the opportunity to drop-in and have their blood pressure measured by pharmacists with experience of working on the front-line and were briefed on the urgent need for action to address the pressures on the sector. Outline of the four-point plan: Resolve the funding squeeze: Community pharmacy needs an immediate funding uplift to prevent large-scale pharmacy closures, as well as emergency business relief to get through this winter. Tackle regulatory and other burdens: Pharmacies must be protected from medicines market shocks, supported to help them weather the workforce crisis, helped to free up capacity and freed from red tape that does not enhance patient care. Help pharmacies to expand their role in primary care: Pharmacies could do more to support the delivery of primary care for example through offering clinical services for long-term conditions - like hypertension, diabetes and respiratory disease, supporting people to adopt healthier lifestyles and prevent the development of long-term conditions, medicines optimisation, and a much wider variety of NHS vaccinations.