When I was asked by fellow independent contractors to join the Review Steering Group (RSG) back in late 2020, I said yes, because I wanted, fundamentally,
to look for some ways to improve both LPCs and PSNC. Through my experiences with Greater Manchester LPC I had seen the sorts of changes that LPCs could make and
the positive impact that those had on local engagement and in allowing us to do more to support contractors: I wanted to help share what we had learned with the
rest of the country. I was pretty sure that the national negotiator could make some positive changes as well.
It took longer than I had hoped. And it was a lot harder than I had imagined - not least because of the extent of some of the divisions within our sector - but
after 15 months of hard work, I'm pleased with where we have got to, and I believe the 37 changes being proposed will help all contractors.
Consensus is not a sexy word. It is not something that fires up our imaginations or that we put on our list of key work objectives for the year. It is also not something that might come naturally to us as independent contractors. But consensus is something that matters. It is the thing that allows us, as a vibrant and diverse group of businesses, to see beyond our differences and to fight together for outcomes that benefit every single one of us.
Consensus is also the thing that the RSG has been relentlessly focused on throughout its work, and it's at the heart of what will give our LPCs and PSNC a stronger voice for community pharmacy in the future.
It was my great privilege be appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to serve as her representative in South Glamorgan as Deputy Lord Lieutenant and also
as Honorary Captain in the Royal Navy.
During that time I was incredibly lucky to have met her on a number of occasions, including the state opening of Parliament, the Buckingham Palace Summer Garden
Party, the Commonwealth reception and at various culture celebrations.
I remember clearly the first time I met her at Buckingham Palace in 2010.
Her Majesty looked at my name badge and saw that I had an OBE, and said: "Oh, did I do that one?" I replied: "No Ma'am that was bestowed by the Prince of Wales."
She looked at me kindly, smiled and said: "That's a shame, I missed out on that one."
I replied, slightly cheekily: "It was a shame for me too."
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.
The primary responsibility of community pharmacists is taking care of their patients but to do that they also need to learn how to run the business. It is one
thing to be au fait with profit and loss statements, reimbursement models, budgets analysis, business planning and so much more but quite another when one is hard
pressed on everything - time, resources and cash flow.
Bas Vorsteveld - the new vice president and general manager in Great Britain & Ireland for Haleon, a new company 100 per cent focussed on consumer healthcare - has
witnessed first-hand how "time poor" pharmacists usually are and is committed to helping ease their burden wherever possible.
"They can be drowning in work at all times throughout the day. If I happen to spot a community pharmacy while I am out shopping with the family, I almost always pop
into the store, with obviously a lot of questions in my head. If the pharmacist has the time, I ask them a few questions and once we start the conversation and they
find out that I'm the general manager for a company that provides them with some of their big brand products, I often get a look of total surprise on their face,
especially as I've come to visit their store and take the time to speak with them personally. I've really seen first-hand what a busy bunch they are!
"I often want to know how the shop front is presented? What does the pharmacy look like from inside? Is there a big queue? What kind of advertisement the pharmacy
has in place? How are our products merchandised?
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Asda Ramsgate pharmacy worker Claire Twyman saved life of a regular patient Rose Doyle by giving her a timely advice to visit A&E after spotting a blood clot on her leg.
Doyle (75) spent five days in Margate Hospital, and after recovering she called in at the store to thank Twyman for her quick-thinking actions.
She handed her a thank-you note which read: "Thank you for making me go to A&E. You may have saved my life, so thank you once again I am really grateful."
Twyman, who has worked at the store for nine years, said: "I was just happy that I was able to help her and give her that advice, which made a difference. It could have been a lot worse if she'd left it. I'm so glad she's okay.
"Rose came over to the pharmacy for advice on her leg. I looked down and told her it was really swollen, and then asked to look at her foot. I thought straightaway that it was a thrombosis, a blood clot. Her toes were very white, but I didn't want to alarm her."
I have always been passionate about Community Pharmacy and am proud of the way that the sector navigated itself through Covid-19 and is currently navigating itself through all the changes in the NHS landscape.
When I started my role in Sep 2019 as the CEO of Kent LPC, I used to say that community pharmacy has changed more in the last five years than the 15 before that,
however, I now believe community pharmacy has changed more in the last two years than the 20 before.
The year 2019 saw the start of the five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework which set out how community pharmacy would support delivery of the NHS long term plan. What PSNC (or any of us) when negotiating this deal had not envisaged was the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whilst the world turned upside down, we saw high street shops close their doors and immense pressure flood the NHS. Community pharmacy did what they always do, they adapted, teams came together, worked through, and showed resilience in the face of adversity.
In Kent, I saw us integrate into primary are and into the NHS structure very quickly, in the first few weeks after Covid-19. All the usual red tape was removed, we all worked together to implement services to help patients in a matter of weeks when they would have normally taken months.