The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Director for Scotland Clare Morrison participated in the panel discussion alongside representatives from other health
professional organisations on tackling the workforce crisis at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on 8 October.
At the conference, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care committed to achieving protected learning time for health professionals. Morrison welcomed the
Cabinet Secretary's statement as fantastic news for pharmacists across Scotland.
"RPS Scotland will follow up the discussion by writing to the Cabinet Secretary to request a meeting to discuss achieving protected learning time, the forthcoming
results of our workforce wellbeing survey, and positive examples of how pharmacy teams have improved the well-being of their teams," said the society.
Senior academic pharmacist, Professor Mahendra Patel, recently received an award for his outstanding contribution and support for the Nigerian community
in the UK.
The Medical Association of Nigerians across GB (MANSAG) conducted its two-day annual General and Scientific Conference on October 27 and 28 in London.
The theme of the conference focussed on "Transforming Health Outcomes" to celebrate the contributions Nigerian doctors make to healthcare systems in the UK and
globally.
Dr Patel delivered an encouraging speech on "Leading Black And Minority Ethnic Population Research by BAME Researchers".
At the Future of Britain Conference 2024, the newly appointed Secretary of Health and Social Care, (DHSC) Wes Streeting, stated that "Labour's DNA is in
the NHS".
He also called for a long-term approach to reform the broken health sector and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to steer the healthcare system
towards sustainability and growth.
Hosted by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and My Life My Say today, Tuesday, 9, Streeting discussed the plans to fix the healthcare system and role of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in "making the right choices" by bringing in three essential shifts in the healthcare.
Criticising the previous Conservative administration for leaving "massive burning deck issues" due to constant reshuffling within the Department of Health and
Social Care (DHSC), Streeting lamented that this "instability" and "indecisions" have made comprehensive reform even more pressing.
Drawing inspiration from Chancellor Rachel Reeves' speech on economic growth, Streeting stressed the interconnectedness of health and economic prosperity.
Alliance Healthcare, the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, has pledged to support the global efforts to cut carbon emissions, as set out at the recent UN Climate Change Conference, COP26.
The company's pledge is in line with its aim to create "healthier futures and thebusiness", on which it has been working on for years.
It aims to become the most sustainable independent full-line pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK by 2030, ensuring to remain the sustainable partner of choice for its customers and manufacturers.
It is not sustainable to give Covid-19 booster shots every three to six in the long term, Britain's chief scientific adviser said on Tuesday (January 4), even though the booster rollout is needed in the short term to combat the Omicron variant.
"It would be a situation that isn't tenable to say everyone's going to need to be having another vaccine every three or six months.
"That's not the long-term view of where this goes to," Patrick Vallance said at a news conference, adding that annual booster shots against Covid-19 might be necessary, similar to flu shots.
The European Commission said on Wednesday it would allocate 1.23 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to mental health initiatives across the 27-member European Union
and make mental health a pillar of health policy.
"Today marks a new beginning for a comprehensive, prevention-oriented and multi-stakeholder approach to mental health at EU level," Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner
for health and food safety, said in a statement.
"We need to break down stigma and discrimination so that those in need can reach out and receive the support they need. It is OK not to be OK, and it is our duty to
ensure that everyone asking for help has access to it."
The Commission said mental health problems already impacted around 84 million people before the COVID-19 pandemic with an economic cost of about 600 billion euro a
year, or 4% of the bloc's GDP.
The situation has deteriorated since the pandemic with the war in Ukraine, climate change anxiety and the rising cost of living due to soaring inflation.
At a press conference, Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas called it a "silent epidemic" and said the topic was the last piece in the European Health Union
"puzzle".
The world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said on September 14, his most optimistic
outlook yet on the years-long health crisis which has killed over six million people.
"We are not there yet. But the end is in sight," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference.
That was the most upbeat assessment from the UN agency since it declared an international emergency in January 2020 and started describing Covid-19 as a pandemic
three months later.
The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, roiling global economies and overwhelming healthcare
systems.
The rollout of vaccines and therapies have helped to stem deaths and hospitalisations, and the Omicron variant which emerged late last year causes less severe
disease. Deaths from Covid-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020, the U.N. agency reported.