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The NHS is facing a range of long term challenges which needs to be countered with prevention, enhance personalised care and sustainable performance, health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday (March 8). In his speech on healthcare reform at the Royal College of Physicians in London, he said: "We face some long-term challenges: how to keep the NHS focused on delivery while futureproofing it for changing demographics and disease; how to meet rising patient expectations and address the injustices of widespread disparities; and how to deal with an unsustainable financial trajectory while backing the brilliant people who work in health and care." Javid emphasised on three key points for healthcare reform - prevention, personalisation and performance. He said, prevention is not just about building a 'national hospital service' but a true 'National Health Service'.

Too many unreasonable demands placed on pharmacists by employers affect their health and wellbeing at work, a stress and wellbeing survey conducted by The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union revealed. The survey, conducted during Autumn 2021, covered views of over 2,000 pharmacists employed by big multiples - Lloyds, Boots, and Well. This survey used questions developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which enabled the union to understand more about stress and wellbeing in three of the largest community pharmacy multiples. Analysing the survey, the PDA said that some pharmacists working for each of the three employers highlighted "unachievable targets, unrealistic time pressures, and most worrying of all reported numerous instances of bullying and harassment." An overwhelming majority of the respondents reflected personal sacrifices made by the pharmacists to ensure patient services are not impacted by the poor conditions and environments in some pharmacies.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United Kingdom, affecting nearly 50,000 men yearly. Combined with the challenges faced across healthcare during COVID-19, new figures show that prostate cancer accounts for a third of cancers not treated due to the pandemic, with 14,000 'missing patients' believed to have not undergone treatment since April 2020. It is more urgent than ever that men are encouraged to get checked, as any set-backs in diagnosis can reduce the pathways available, in turn affecting health outcomes. Community pharmacy teams play a crucial role in signposting the help available for men who may be concerned about their health. Therefore, it is vital that pharmacy teams have access to the information they need to correctly direct men to seek prostate cancer guidance. By maximising the trusted relationship between patients and their pharmacists, more can be done to identify the warning signs, helping men to get an earlier diagnosis.

he British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has voted Pete Kelly, managing director of Accord UK, to become its new chair. He replaces Peter Ballard, who has completed his second tenure as the association's chair and will now serve a further year as vice-chair. Pete leads the UK operations of Accord, one of the largest generic and biosimilar manufacturers in Europe. In the UK, the company currently supplies a fifth of all generic medicines. Mark Samuels, chief executive of BGMA, said: "We are very fortunate to have someone of Pete's experience and leadership qualities to take on the mantle of chair of the association. The industry faces a challenging period on many fronts, and Pete's input will be invaluable. "I would also like to record my enormous gratitude to Peter Ballard, our out-going Chair who has been an incredible servant to the association over many, many years. He will continue for another year as vice-chair, and we are pleased to have his continuing advice."

A pharmacist based in the East Midlands of England plans to run 150 kilometres during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to raise funds for an international food charity. Shahid Akhtar from Rainworth, Nottinghamshire started running five kilometres each day from March 23 "from about an hour before sunset and the time I can break my fast." So far, the 50-year-old locum pharmacist who used "to own and run a community pharmacy not so long ago", has managed to run 55 kilometres and has already raised a total of £2,173 for the cause. By the end of Ramadan, Shahid aims to exceed his personal target of raising £2,500 to help feed children around the world. He says the money raised through him will go towards providing school meals for children and young people in neglected communities around the world through Charity Right. Shahid will run everyday without consuming any food or water before, during, or immediately after the race. Having never run whilst fasting before, he thinks this will be an "interesting new experience" for him.

Independent charity group, Pharmacist Support has appointed five new trustees to its board - David Downham, Karen Harrowing, Mohammed Hussain, Mala Khiroya, and Alison Scowcroft, for a term of three years. The new recruits will join the existing Board members Anita Cawley, Catherine Harper, Paul Johnson, Steve Lutener, Esther Sadler-Williams, Mark Sweeney and Sarah Willis. Harrowing, Downham and Hussain have begun their 3-year term in January 2022, while Scowcroft and Khiroya would join the board in June. The new appointments are in line with the Charity's plans, announced last year, to enhance its volunteer schemes. "Since the launch of the charity's new strategy in January 2020, the profession has been faced with many new challenges. We are really proud of the work we have done in the last few years to address some of these challenges," said Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt.

A group of drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction may be able to boost the effect of chemotherapy in oesophageal cancer, according to new research funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council. The research, published on Tuesday (June 22) in Cell Reports Medicine, found that the drugs, known as PDE5 inhibitors can reverse chemotherapy resistance by targeting cells called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) residing in the area surrounding the tumour. Although this is early discovery research, PDE5 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy, may be able to shrink some oesophageal tumours more than chemotherapy could alone, tackling chemotherapy resistance, which is one of the major challenges in treating oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal cancer affects the food pipe that connects the mouth to the stomach, and while it is a relatively rare cancer, the UK has one of the higher rates in the world, with 9,300 new oesophageal cancer cases in the UK every year. Resistance to chemotherapy in oesophageal cancer is influenced by the tumour microenvironment, the area that sounds the tumour. This is made up of molecules, blood vessels, and cells such as cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are important for tumour growth. It feeds the tumour and can act as a protective cloak, preventing treatments like chemotherapy from having an effect.

The NHS Confederation has urged the government to reconsider its 'living with Covid' plan and introduce mitigating actions that will help avoid further critical incidents being declared at the NHS front-line. The organisation said the high rates of Covid is having a major impact on the delivery of health services and slowing down efforts to reduce large waiting lists, noting that the country has been in the grip of another spike in Covid cases resulting from the Omicron BA.2 variant. With more than 20,000 patients now in hospital with Covid (or who have Covid but are in hospital for other reasons) and high staff absences, NHS is facing huge operational challenges, harming efforts to reduce waiting times in other areas, it said.

The pharmacy chain has already announced plans to permanently close hundreds of its branches across the UK to consolidate its portfolio of 2,200 stores to 1,900. Two of its branches in North Wales will be closed next year, with its site in Rhos on Sea set to close its doors in March 2024 and the shop in Colywn Bay the following month. In a statement obtained by The Sun, Clwyd West MP David Jones has branded the closures "hugely bad news for the local community". He added that it is not "a case of simple shop closures," but "another body blow for the local retail economy." The Station Road shopping centre, where the Colwyn Bay store is located, has already seen the closure of several other prominent stores, including WHSmith, the MP stated. The closure of two Boots stores will leave many people "extremely worried as to how they will be able to obtain essential medicines," he added.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), professional membership body for pharmacists and pharmacy, has published its manifesto for the general election, highlighting key issues facing the next government after the election on July 4. Local candidates are urged to recognise and support the vital role pharmacists play in supporting people's health. The RPS teams are gearing up to influence government policy in various crucial areas. Their key asks include: Ensuring Secure Patient Access to Medicines Supporting a Better-Connected NHS Enhancing Accessible Prescribing in Local Communities Maximizing Health Improvement through Locally Accessible Pharmacy Teams Supporting the Workforce to Deliver Patient Care Unlocking the Potential of New Advances in Medicines Supporting the UK's Global Position in Science and Research Acknowledging the efforts of pharmacists and their teams, Professor Claire Anderson, President of the RPS, noted that they are "working incredibly hard to maintain patient access to care amid workforce challenges, medicines shortages and financial pressures."

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.

During the coronavirus pandemic many people found themselves working from home, and this has continued to some extent in many businesses. A change in working environment can bring challenges, one of which can be joint pain and discomfort. Imagine you have gone from a busy office environment, meeting in boardrooms and visiting the canteen for a coffee, to working at home on your dining room table, walking several feet to get a cup of tea and sitting back down again, this change in surroundings can have an impact on your joints. Community pharmacists can be a source of knowledge to help individuals that may be suffering from joint complaints, this may be from the above scenario or just general aches and pains that come from an office based role. Firstly, it's important for us to know the effects of sitting down at a desk all day (not a scenario I'm sure many community pharmacists experience daily): Back pain - is one of the most common complaints. This can be caused by bad posture while sitting too high, too low, or hunched over. While this may present as just a soreness or discomfort, if not rectified and/or accessed this can lead to some serious health issues such as spinal compression, sciatica or spinal stenosis.

Health Education England (HEE) has developed funded training offers for community pharmacists, including locums aiming to become independent prescribers. Almost 3000 independent prescribing training places will be available to pharmacists from March 2023. This training enables pharmacists to support patients from diagnosis to prescribing, and to provide advice and follow-up - while also helping them to feel confident and prepared for the new challenges of their role. Courses will be available between April 2023 and March 2024, with several universities offering multiple dates for cohort intakes. Start dates will depend on the university provider. Training will enable the provision of new models of care: supporting patients from diagnosis to prescribing, providing advice and follow-up, and preparing pharmacists to provide clinical care, as pharmacy services become more widespread within emerging clinical pathways.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a notification regarding the shortage of Guanfacine 2mg and 3mg modified-release tablets has raised concerns within the healthcare community. This critical medicine supply notification, issued on March 28th, projects the unavailability of these tablets until the week commencing May 6, 2024. Guanfacine tablets, commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity while enhancing attention and concentration, play a vital role in managing conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the scarcity of these specific strengths poses challenges for patients reliant on this medication. Last year, several countries across the globe experienced shortages of medications for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)including the UK, the US and Australia. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has cautioned that while alternative strengths of Guanfacine remain accessible, they may not adequately meet the heightened demand, potentially resulting in treatment interruptions for patients.

A new legislation has been introduced to allow authorised pharmacists along with other healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland to certify 'fit notes', health minister Robin Swann has announced. Pharmacists and some other healthcare professionals in England, Scotland and Wales are already allowed to sign 'fit notes'. Swann announced that 'fit notes' were also set to go fully digital in the future, meaning they would no longer need to be signed in ink. He said: "I am delighted to introduce this legislation in Northern Ireland. This change will make it easier for people and employers to get the advice they need so people can stay in work and will help free up doctors' time. "Too often we see people being faced with unnecessary challenges to get a fit note. More professionals being able to offer this vital service will speed up the process and support people to return to or remain in work."

The latest findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2022 by QualityWatch, a joint programme with the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation shed light on concerning disparities faced by ethnic minority communities in the UK healthcare system. Despite strides in cancer care, the survey highlights persistent challenges in easy and equitable access to timely diagnosis and quality communication, particularly for individuals from Mixed, Black, or Asian backgrounds. Key insights from the survey underscored that individuals from ethnic minority groups often require a higher number of interactions with healthcare professionals before receiving a cancer diagnosis. Notably, one in three people from Mixed, Black, or Asian ethnicities needed three or more visits to a GP practice, compared to the average of one in five across the population. These delays in diagnosis can have significant implications for treatment outcomes and overall patient experience. Moreover, the survey revealed concerning trends regarding the quality of communication following a cancer diagnosis among ethnic minority patients.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) on Monday alerted the Health and Social Care Committee that medicines shortages have increased and are "around double what they were a year ago." BGMA chief executive Mark Samuels told the committee that they have been highlighting the medicine shortage risk to ministers since July 2021 and the association is "very concerned" about the current situation. "We've been monitoring it for several years now, and as you saw in the written evidence, shortages have increased. They're around double what they were a year ago. We have them at 101 shortages in February this year," said Samuels. Dr Rick Greville, director of distribution and supply at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), highlighted that the problem of drug shortages in the UK is a "long-standing issue" and the scarcity of certain medications "continues to be challenging".

Whether it's the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and those suffering with long Covid, or the financial pressures of rising living costs, these hard times can affect absolutely anyone's mental health. Mental health problems have worsened across all age-groups in the last few years, from lack of social interaction, unexpected bereavements or the significant impact of a physical injury or long-term illness taking its toll on mental wellbeing - these challenging experiences and situations that we face throughout life leave a big strain on the population. Ultimately, there is an urgent need to reduce rising levels of mental ill-health in our society. As a pharmacist with 25 years' experience in healthcare, I feel I have an obligation to my patients to support them with their healthcare needs, and mental health should be treated just the same as physical health. Despite efforts to improve NHS mental health services, patients may still not be receiving the appropriate immediate care as they are often provided with online counselling or an App for long-term support (online support introduced since the pandemic). Community pharmacists are in a unique position to be advocates for patients with mental illness as they are the healthcare professionals' patients see most often. This is a good opportunity for pharmacists to speak to patients face-to-face and give them advice in a more practical way rather than potentially waiting weeks for an GP appointment.

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)'s decision to withdraw gluten free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease across Leeds and Calderdale has disappointed Coeliac UK. In a statement released on Thursday, the charity, which provides support and advice to those living with the disease, has raised "grave concerns" about the decision, warning that it will have a detrimental impact on the coeliac community. The policy is currently implemented across the ICB's other places including Bradford district and Craven, Kirklees and Wakefield district, preventing coeliac patients from accessing gluten free bread and flour mix on prescription. NHS West Yorkshire ICB wants to align its gluten free prescribing guidelines across its five places. But the charity is worried that the additional cost of gluten free staple products will poses a real challenge to maintaining the gluten-free diet, which is the only treatment for the condition.

When faced with the unfortunate situation of medical malpractice, it's understandable that you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the next steps. One crucial aspect that often gets overlooked in the turmoil is the importance of timely filing a medical malpractice claim. Delaying this process can have significant negative consequences on your ability to secure justice and compensation. Here's why you shouldn't delay in filing a medical malpractice claim. A Crucial Step in Seeking Justice When faced with legal challenges, finding the right lawyer is paramount. Your choice of legal representation can significantly impact the outcome of your case and your overall experience throughout the legal process. Begin by identifying lawyers with expertise in your specific legal issue, whether it's personal injury, family law, or business disputes. Conduct thorough research, read client reviews, and seek recommendations from trusted sources to narrow down your options. Meet with potential attorneys for consultations to assess their experience, communication style, and commitment to your case. Whether you are looking for a Scranton Medical Malpractice Lawyer or in any other place, look for a lawyer who not only has the necessary skills and knowledge but also demonstrates empathy, transparency, and a genuine dedication to advocating for your rights. By investing time and effort into finding the right lawyer, you set the foundation for a strong legal strategy and increase your chances of a favorable resolution.