The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised its concerns over rising cost of rent for its members.
The association highlighted that pharmacy spending is shrinking, and therefore, the NHS Property Services must ensure viability of health centre pharmacies.
In May, the NPA wrote to NHS Property Services to voice its concerns over the rising cost of rent after some of its members reported demands for a three-fold increase in rent.
Many pharmacies operate in premises of which NHS Property Services is the landlord.
In a letter last month to chief executive Martin Steele, NPA said: "The past years have seen far fewer patients in health centres and therefore using the on-site pharmacy - whilst the situation will change somewhat as we move out of the pandemic we expect a permanent impact on workload as practices handle more of their interactions virtually.
"The NPA encourages NHS Property Services to review lease agreements involving community pharmacies and consider favourable changes to terms that are in line with
current financial realities affecting the sector. This could avoid the loss of a pharmacy service to communities and the resulting loss of rental income to NHS Property Services."
The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) has been running as a national advanced service since October 2019 to relieve pressure on the National
Health Service which aims to help with on the day demand in relation to minor illness and medicines.
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service CPCS (NHS CPCS) aims to meet the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan to use community pharmacists' skills to
advise patients, and to build relationships with GP surgeries, primary care teams and wider NHS providers and to assist with urgent care system repeat prescription
requests. Referrals from the GP referral pathway and urgent care systems and urgent treatment centres are digitally routed to community pharmacies so that patients
can receive same-day appointments and have their queries resolved.
The numbers
Based on the estimated annual number of minor ailment GP appointments, the service was expected to save the NHS up to £640 million per year . Three years later, the
nation has weathered the Covid 19 pandemic, which had widespread effects and put further strain on already overstretched NHS staff.
The pandemic impact has resulted in higher numbers of GP appointments than initially anticipated. Nevertheless, this may offer an opportunity to proactively engage
pharmacy teams in patient contact help ease strain across the wider NHS.
The NHS staff delivered more than 25 million checks for patients' which is almost 2 million more than before the pandemic.
There has been an increase of almost 50 per cent between August to July as compared to a decade ago.
In 2013, the figures saw 11 million life-saving tests and checks being conducted by NHS staff in the same period.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive applauded the hard work of staff for delivering two more million tests and checks in the last year.
She said: "NHS campaigns encouraging people to come forward with worrying signs are having a hugely positive effect, with thousands more patients getting
checked - so as ever, if you have any health concerns, please do get checked - it could save your life".
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, visited St Margaret's Hospital in Epping, West Essex, on Thursday (1 August) as part of an ongoing series
of planned engagements with NHS trusts across England.
Accompanied by NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, Streeting observed how NHS staff are using innovative technology to monitor patients at home and prevent
unnecessary hospital admissions.
He met with staff from the hospital's Care Coordination Centre and the 'hospital at home' hub, which work to reduce unnecessary A&E admissions and facilitate
quick and safe discharges home.
Before the hospital tour, the health secretary met the trust's falls response team, which uses a specially equipped 'falls car' to assist patients who have
fallen at home, preventing A&E visits.
Later, Streeting visited the Ross Practice GP surgery in Harlow before holding a town hall event with health leaders in the region.
Poverty not only takes a significant toll on people's health but also leads to additional costs for the National Health Service (NHS). Rise in deep poverty,
cost-of-living crisis, and high pressure on NHS services have worsened the situation, according to a study published by The King's Fund this week.
The report underscored that poverty and deprivation contribute to a greater prevalence of diseases, difficulties in accessing health care, late or delayed
treatment, and worse health outcomes. These challenges could be seen across various NHS services, spanning from emergency care to dental services
Additionally, it revealed that 30 per cent of people living in the most deprived areas have turned to 999, 111, A&E or a walk-in centre because they could not
access a GP appointment.
In 2016, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimated the cost of poverty on health care at £29 billion (£34 billion in current prices). As the proportion of
people living in deep poverty has risen, the situation has worsened. In 2021/22, six million people were living in very deep poverty, up from 4.5 million two
decades ago. Currently, more than one in five people in the UK are estimated to be living in poverty, the report noted.
Deprivation is linked to a range of diet-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as mental illness. According to the
report, the depression rate is two times higher among people living in the most deprived areas, compared to the least deprived areas.
The NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard saluted the effort of over 100,000 Coid volunteers who alongside the NHS staff helped to deliver record-breaking numbers of jabs in December.
The "selfless volunteers" devoted around two million hours to help ramp up the vaccination programme in 2021- with over nine million doses delivered since December 12, when the prime minister announced the turbo-charged vaccination drive.
Pritchard said: "Alongside NHS staff, our selfless volunteers have worked tirelessly to protect the nation - in football stadiums, shopping centres, Christmas markets and countless other vaccination sites up and down the country.
"I want to give my personal thanks to everyone who has given up their time to help us beat record after record - continuing to make the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme the biggest and most successful in health service history.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has been in dialogue with the senior management of NHS Property Services to bring down the rent for community
pharmacies based in NHS health centres.
Association said: "Community pharmacies based in NHS health centres are struggling to make ends meet due to expensive rental rates."
It is calling for pharmacies to have the ability to renegotiate rental rates part way through a contract.
Gareth Jones, Director of Corporate Affairs at the NPA, said landlords need to take into account that pharmacy spending power is shrinking and the previous formula
used to set rental rates is no longer fit for purpose.
"It no longer makes sense to calculate based on historical assumptions about how many prescriptions the co-located GP will generate for the pharmacy," he said.
In a bid to address the ongoing deficit in staff in the UK's healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS) has entered into a new workforce agreement
with India.
According to media reports, the healthcare service plans to hire 2,000 doctors from India on a fast-track basis to alleviate this pressing issue.
It is learned that the NHS has set up training centres across many Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Delhi, Gurugram, Indore, Mysore, Chennai,
and Calicut to provide postgraduate training for the first batch of doctors.
Post their training period (which ranges from six to 12 months), these doctors will be deployed at hospitals across Britain. They will also be exempted from the
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination that is otherwise mandatory for practising in the country.
Community pharmacists are readily accessible healthcare providers and medicine experts in the community setting and their counsel is often sought by patients
and consumers on a number of subjects including the use of dietary supplements. Their role in the sale of and advice regarding natural health and drug alternatives
has never been more relevant.
The recent National Health Service (NHS) Interim People Plan calls for the NHS to put all staff front and centre of the way it operates and identifies pharmacists
as a critical part of multidisciplinary teams, providing care across a wide range of increasingly complex patient needs.
Despite existing demand to counsel patients on a vast range of medicines, more and more consumers are looking to their pharmacist to support and enhance their
knowledge regarding the relevance of a growing range of supplementary nutrients now available.
Nutritional supplementation is increasingly becoming the consumer's first choice for 'drug free' treatment or natural prevention that provides a true sense of
taking control, which the prescription process often denies them.
Historically the immense benefits provided by the NHS have instilled a general abdication of our personal health control, leaving us to rely on the health service
to treat and cure as necessary.
As our NHS has become visibly over-stretched we begin to realise what the rest of the world has known for centuries - good health is based primarily upon nutritional
robustness. It may be stating the obvious but there is an excellent source of incremental revenue for the pharmacist who is willing to provide space to and advice
for nutritional supplements.
Global consumer healthcare company Haleon has launched a new centre of excellence for a global leader in consumer health which will bring together world leading
academics in human behaviour and frontline healthcare professionals including community pharmacists.
Unveiled at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress in 'sunny' Seville, Spain on September 20, the Centre will operate as a community of healthcare
professionals and specialists in behavioural science, health psychology and the social sciences to solve some of the most pressing everyday health challenges.
Named the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) the initiative will be the first major programme for healthcare professionals since the Haleon's launch on July 18 as an
independent, global leader in consumer health.
The Centre's mission is to support practising health professionals - pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and dental professionals - in serving their patients and
communities. Combining science with deep human understanding, CHS will bring expertise in physiology together with human sciences to deliver real world-solutions
and tangible interventions, resulting in measurable improvements in health outcomes through sustained behavioural change.
The Centre is facilitated by Robert Horne, professor of Behavioural Medicine at UCL School of Pharmacy, who started his career as a practising pharmacist but later
chose to become a behavioural scientist when he saw an opportunity to address issues around psycho-social factors that acted as a hindrance in pharmacy practice.
Speaking to me in an exclusive three-way conversation alongside Tess Player, the global head of healthcare professional & health influencer marketing at Haleon, on
the sidelines of the FIP Congress 2022, Prof Horne expanded on what the Centre was all about and how it would work.
"We've got some good ideas, but it's not a pre-filled prescription that we're going to deliver at scale from the start. What Haleon is t
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.
The UK government's community diagnostic centre programme, which was first launch in July 2021, is helping cut waiting lists, and speed up diagnoses and
treatments for NHS patients.
As of November 2023, a total of 6.1 million vital checks have been carried out at community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across England, according to a joint statement
released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England.
Under the £2.3 billion programme, 141 CDCs have been opened across the country in a variety of settings including shopping centres, university campuses and football
stadiums, offering patients a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home.
The government has set a target to open 160 CDCs by March 2025, with many expected to open ahead of schedule.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the appointment of Michael Matheson MSP as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in
Scotland.
Commenting on the announcement Laura Wilson, Director of RPS Scotland, said: "I would like to congratulate Michael Matheson on being appointed to this position.
NHS recovery is vitally important, and pharmacy has a huge amount to offer this agenda.
"Our current priorities include enabling pharmacists to take leadership of prescribing in all care settings, tackling health inequalities and advocating for change,
implementing shared patient records between healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, person centred and safe patient care, improving pharmacists' wellbeing
and tackling the climate emergency by encouraging sustainable and green prescribing across Scotland.
The Professional Records Standards Body (PRSB), which develops information standards for health and social care records, has appointed Professor Reecha
Sofat as the new Chair.
She will assume the role at the end of October 2024, succeeding Professor Maureen Baker CBE, who will step down after seven years as Chair of the PRSB.
A Clinical Pharmacologist, Professor Sofat has held many leadership roles across the NHS, academia and scientific societies.
Professor Sofat is Breckenridge Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool. She practices general internal medicine and is also an Associate
Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre (DSC) which is led by Health Data Research UK (HDRUK).
With a passion for data science and extensive clinical and research insights, Professor Sofat is focused on embedding research into routine health and social care.
She said: "I am passionate about using the rich health data that is already collected across NHS and social care to better understand the causes and consequences
of disease and improve health outcomes.
Wes Streeting MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the new Labour Government.
The Ilford North MP will now take on the critical role of overseeing the National Health Service (NHS) and implementing Labour's ambitious health agenda.
At the core of the Labour Party's healthcare reform manifesto is enhancing accessibility to primary and community healthcare. This involves implementing a
'Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service,' to empower pharmacists with independent prescribing rights where clinically suitable.
This initiative aims to alleviate the strain on GP practices and enhance service accessibility.
Additionally, the manifesto proposes piloting Neighbourhood Health Centres, to integrate various healthcare services -such as family doctors, district nurses,
and mental health specialists under one roof.
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) and senior official of NHS Property Services (NHSPS) had a meeting on August 18 to review the rent
policy for health centre pharmacies.
Earlier, the association had sent a letter to NHSPS that was signed by pharmacies from across the sector, including single independents, pharmacy groups and members
of the Company Chemists' Association.
The letter outlined concerns about rent reviews and the impact of it on the co-located health centre pharmacies.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of AIMp, said: "We outlined that whilst in the past, the norm established by the industry, was to base rents for co-located pharmacies
primarily based on patient list size, (and taking account of a few other factors), the industry now needs to revise the basis on which rents are determined for
co-located pharmacies."
The association, on behalf of the pharmacy sector, met the CEO of NHSPS and two of their senior directors (director or property management and their finance director).
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is supporting pharmacists in England whose employment has been impacted by the creation of new NHS structures.
As a result of the 2022 Health and Care Act, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) were established in England, and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were closed on 1
July 2022. Each of the ICSs includes two key parts: an Integrated Care Board (ICB) and an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).
The association said: "The previous structures in England, established by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, originally had over 200 clinical commissioning groups.
This number had reduced over recent years via mergers."
"However, this latest shift to just 42 commissioning entities means a significant change to significantly larger geographies and populations covered by each ICS.
Although each ICS and its activity can be subdivided into 'places', and within places into 'neighbourhoods', it is at the ICS level that the employer is formed."
"Whereas CCGs previously employed many local health professionals, including pharmacists, the new arrangements mean that ICBs are now that employer. The PDA is
supporting members who have contacted its Service Centre about the impact of these changes."
NHS England has funded the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) to offer 80 free places in their Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT)
programme.
Starting August 2024, up to 10 NHSE-funded places will be available each month on a first-come, first-served basis for pharmacy technicians working in community
pharmacy, NHS hospitals, and in health and justice.
The funding will continue until all 80 places are allocated or until March 2025.
CPPE has revealed that 50 per cent of the funding has been allocated for community pharmacy and 50 per cent for other sectors.
The ACPT programme is a 3-12 month course aimed at helping pharmacy technicians achieve various competencies, ensuring they can provide safe and effective patient
care.
Community pharmacists are readily accessible healthcare providers and medicine experts in the community setting and their counsel is often sought by patients and consumers on a number of subjects including the use of dietary supplements.
Their role in the sale of and advice regarding natural health and drug alternatives has never been more relevant. The recent National Health Service (NHS) Interim
People Plan calls for the NHS to put all staff front and centre of the way it operates and identifies pharmacists as a critical part of multidisciplinary teams,
providing care across a wide range of increasingly complex patient needs.
Despite existing demand to counsel patients on a vast range of medicines, more and more consumers are looking to their pharmacist to support and enhance their
knowledge regarding the relevance of a growing range of supplementary nutrients now available.
Nutritional supplementation is increasingly becoming the consumer's first choice for 'drug free' treatment or natural prevention that provides a true sense of taking control, which the prescription process often denies them.
The vast and growing depository of information on the internet is certainly fuelling this, but as much of this is brand derived content, information, it can often be generic with a 'one size fits all' marketing message.
Growing up with a family that worked in pharmacy, our dinner time conversation was not like that of other families. Ours would centre around medicines,
prescriptions, and the health challenges within our local community.
I quickly came to understand the importance of the role played by community pharmacists. So I can't help but be concerned that the current direction being taken by
digital health innovation threatens to leave community pharmacies behind.
Whilst it is brilliant that patients can easily access their prescriptions through the rise of online pharmacies, many of these cut out the vital knowledge and
expertise of local community pharmacists, and threaten to end the traditional close ties between local community pharmacists and their patients.
Nine out of 10 NHS users believe that pharmacists play an unrivalled role when it comes to keeping patients in the community safe. We must ensure that digital health
does not replace this important source of advice for health problems and injuries, but instead preserves and enhances this vital, personal role and enables
pharmacists to continue delivering care in new and effective ways.
A vital connection with patients
Community pharmacies provide crucial support to local patients with managing their medicines safely, particularly older and more vulnerable people. The specific
expertise and knowledge held by pharmacists can help inform the long-term management of a patient's condition and ensure they are kept safe from potential side
effects and complications.