Community pharmacies will be able to deliver approximately 15 million blood pressure screenings by 2026, revealed the Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s new
research.
This will also prevent 15,000 people from suffering heart attacks or strokes. CCA has called the Government to take up their offer and commission pharmacies as the
first port of call for cardiovascular care.
"Thousands of lives can be saved with ambitious commissioning and the investment to match," said CCA.
There is an opportunity to use the expertise of community pharmacy to go further and provide the care these newly identified patients' need. To do this the sector
needs funding and workforce.
The association said: "Community pharmacy is under great financial pressure, suffering a real term funding cut of over 30% over 8 years. With funding, the sector can
transform to deliver this critical need for patients.
Whilst there are plans to train Independent Prescribers (IPs), there are no clear roles for them to use these skills. There is a need to accelerate training plans to
allow pharmacists to deliver the service described here and play their part in CVD management."
Day Lewis Pharmacy has enlisted Locate a Locum, a Belfast-based healthcare technology innovator, to deploy and manage a digital solution aimed at enhancing
locum staffing and management across its 267-pharmacy network.
"We sought a faster, user-friendly system for instant locum bookings, particularly for last-minute shifts," said Sam Patel, Executive Director at Day Lewis
Pharmacy. "This tool improves communication between potential locums and our coordinators, creating more opportunities to attract talent from across the country.
Our customers are our priority, and ensuring they have access to staff and advice when needed is our main focus."
Locate a Locum will implement a cloud-based digital solution across the Day Lewis Pharmacy estate, allowing locums to securely search, manage, request, and receive
payment for shifts, Day Lewis said in a statement. This platform enables locum staff to manage their work diaries, location preferences, and commitments, promoting
balanced work-life planning.
"The Locate a Locum platform allows for swift, complete payments to our locums and offers them instant booking, eliminating the need for shift confirmation wait
times," Patel added. "In a dynamic market with rising demand for pharmacy services, this platform is a game-changer, driving growth and unlocking potential."
Responding to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report that indicated that NHS England's Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) needs improvements, the Royal
College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has expressed concerns that the plan may not adequately address the needs of GPs.
Published in June 2023, the workforce plan estimated that the NHS's health workforce will need to grow from 1.4m full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in 2021-22 to
between 2.3m and 2.4m FTE workers in 2036-37, an increase of 65 per cent to 72 per cent.
However, the NAO report highlighted that the workforce modelling has significant weaknesses, including a complex design; manual adjustments; optimistic future
assumptions and limited public communication of their uncertainty; and modelling outputs that could not be fully replicated.
To improve the modelling, the report recommended exploring the uncertainty of these assumptions and considering potential outcomes if they do not materialize as
expected. Additionally, it suggested including full integration of the different parts of the modelling pipeline to minimise manual adjustments.
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.
Workforce issues, staff retention and capacity continues to be a big concern for the Local Pharmaceutical Committee as it discussed the topics at a recent meeting with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).
The meeting, attended by delegates from 66 LPCs, focused on the current challenges faced by community pharmacies as well as the planning for the next year.
Around 64 per cent of delegates said workforce was the top challenge faced by pharmacy contractors, and suggested reducing the migration of pharmacists to Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
Other suggestions included - "improving the development opportunities available for pharmacists and their teams, and rebranding the profession to make community pharmacy a more attractive route for young graduates."
On the development of Integrated Care Systems (ICS), the majority of respondents were positive about their LPC's engagement in the new setting.
The NHS England last week released a survey report on the involvement of pharmacy professionals in research, and proposed the implementation of a
clinical academic training pathway for pharmacy professionals by 2030.
Recommendations were made to support the embedding of research at all stages of a pharmacy professional's career.
The report presented the findings of two surveys that NHS England launched in May 2022, one for individual pharmacy professionals and one for organisations,
calling for evidence on clinical academic careers in pharmacy.
The survey found that only a minority of the pharmacy workforce take up clinical research training opportunities.
"Just under a quarter of individual respondents had applied for the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) or other research project grants, and
just under half of the organisational survey respondents had supported individuals to apply for such a grant," it said.
Titan PMR, a pioneer of cutting pharmacy technology has set up additional new team of 12 staff to cater for a deluge of independent pharmacists investing in
new businesses.
The company is utilising the opportunity that is underway as large chains look to sell off or close their community pharmacies, offering an opportunity for
pharmacists looking to provide efficient dispensing and additional services.
In January this year Lloyds Pharmacy, which was bought by a private equity firm in 2022, announced plans to close all its 237 branches inside Sainsbury's stores over
the course of 2023. Currently, more than 5,500 of around 14,000 registered pharmacy premises across the UK are owned by corporates and supermarkets.
Titan PMR - an innovative, cloud-based system which manages end-to-end pharmacy workflow - has become the preferred software platform especially amongst first time
buyers who are keen to offer new services to patients. The new team at the Bristol-based company, hired to support this sector, sees its total workforce growing to
more than 50 staff.
The hybrid professional and leadership session underscores the Sigma Conference's significance in offering hope and inspiration to its delegates. This
pioneering venture unfolds following meticulous planning, months of deliberation, and the collaboration of experts from various health disciplines across the UK.
This session, rich in diversity and expertise, aims to elevate the role of community pharmacy in the ever-evolving landscape of the NHS.
It comprises three key components and delves into multi-professional collaboration, insights from NHS Chief Professional Officers from the four devolved nations
complimented by the Royal College of Nursing Directorate Wales, and the evolving landscape of Pharmacy Professional Leadership.
Multi-Professional Collaboration: Breaking Boundaries
The crux of this ground-breaking session lies in appreciating and fostering greater multi-professional collaboration to set the stage for a thought-provoking
session on how community pharmacy can be recognised as an important cog in the wheel of an integrated NHS. This convergence creates a dynamic platform for community
pharmacy to form wider partnerships and explore opportunities, particularly with the recently launched NHS Pharmacy First Service.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for urgent action to ensure wellbeing of pharmacists after the publication of its annual workforce survey.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the charity Pharmacist Support, revealed that 89 per cent of respondents were at high risk of burnout, showing ongoing high levels of workplace stress.
It stated that 57 per cent of respondents reported often being unable to take a rest break or were not offered a break at all.
Around 68 per cent noted weakening of their mental health and wellbeing due to work or study, and 33 per cent considered leaving the profession, indicating high
percent levels of disaffection.
Besides seeking urgent action to allow proper rest breaks for pharmacists, RPS has sought "governments, the NHS and employers to urgently address the workforce issues that are impacting pharmacists' wellbeing."
It said prioritising essential work, effective workforce planning and better access to information is needed.
Commenting on the survey report, RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said: "Our survey demonstrates the continued pressure on pharmacists and trainees across the workforce".
The Department of Health has published 'A Guide to Developing the Role of Consultant Pharmacists' in Northern Ireland on Thursday (22 June).
The guidance provides direction on supporting a consistent approach to the introduction of senior clinical pharmacy roles within and across HSC organisations.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Professor Cathy Harrison said: "There is a recognised need for increased clinical pharmacy and medicines focussed leadership
across our HSC."
"Consultant Pharmacists have an essential role in healthcare as clinicians and as leaders who make a significant impact to medicines optimisation and clinical
governance, providing a vital link between clinical practice and service development by generating and disseminating evidence to drive improvements in care.
"I am delighted that this guidance has been published to take forward the strategic development and appointment of the consultant pharmacy workforce in both
primary and secondary care and to enable pharmacy to be at the forefront of healthcare in NI".
The government has allocated an additional 350 medical school places in England, making a significant step in delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Supported by more than £2.4 billion in government funding, the plan outlines the strategy for recruiting and retaining hundreds of thousands more staff over the
next 15 years to deliver the future workforce the NHS requires.
One of the key commitments of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan is to double the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 by 2031.
As part of the ongoing efforts to fulfill this pledge, the Office for Students (OfS) has designated 350 places for medical schools nationwide for the academic year
2025 to 2026, targeting under-doctored areas.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association has asked Boots UK to waive any restrictive clause that prevents pharmacists working with the multiple from working for other pharmacy employers, even after leaving the company.
However, the firm is yet to respond to the formal request, PDA said in an update.
This request follows demand from the association members shortly after the company announced it's plans to cut opening hours.
On workforce shortages, the PDA stated if there was a genuine shortage, then preventing pharmacists from working for other pharmacy employers to make up for the lost hours would be counterproductive and it would further exacerbate any "shortage".
National pharmacy bodies have welcomed two VAT changes related to community pharmacy services announced in the Spring budget on Wednesday (15 March) but were
disappointed that the budget brought no further relief for the sector in a crippling funding crisis.
It was announced that from 1 May 2023, VAT exemption on healthcare would be extended to include medical services carried out by staff directly supervised by
registered pharmacists.
The government will also extend zero rate on prescriptions to medicines supplied through Patient Group Directions. This measure will be introduced in autumn 2023.
HM Treasury said these measures were being introduced to ensure that the VAT system keeps up with changes to how the NHS operates and how healthcare is delivered
across the country.
More widely, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised to halve inflation and said that the NHS would soon publish its long-term workforce plan.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has offered a new resource to help countries self-assess readiness of their regulations to enable
pharmacist-delivered vaccination services and, where needed, to implement such regulations.
Developed by FIP's Regulators Advisory Group, it covers broad pharmacist-led roles related to vaccination from supply chain management to administration and
prescribing.
"This new resource from FIP is based on the experiences of professional regulators in countries where pharmacy-led vaccination has been successfully introduced
and regulated. With it, we aim to support regulators, policymakers and national organisations in developing strategies or enabling regulatory frameworks in
countries where the pharmacy workforce has a limited role in vaccination strategies so that it can contribute further to the global imperative of improving
immunisation coverage," said Brett Simmonds, group chair.
The "Pharmacy-led vaccination services: Regulatory self-assessment and implementation tool" aims to help identify strengths and areas for improvement in order to
inform vaccination policy and planning efforts.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has refused to accept the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)'s decision to get rid of
'transitional payments' from February 2023.
The pharmacy negotiator said that 'any reductions in payments at this point will be impossible for community pharmacy contractors to manage financially.'
"We are also continuing to be clear with officials and ministers that CPCF funding needs an urgent uplift to help businesses to cope with soaring costs being driven
by inflation and the workforce crisis. We put a comprehensive business case to the government for this uplift in the last CPCF negotiations."
The latest 'transitional payments decision' by the Department follows the announcement last year that the value of the these payments would be phased down over the
second half of 2022/23 and will be based on the latest monitoring and analysis of funding delivery.
PSNC says it submitted a fully-costed bid for a 'Pharmacy First' service in its last round of negotiations alongside the case for an uplift to core CPCF funding.
Both of these were refused.
As the countdown to the next UK election begins, the King's Fund has identified three priorities to improve public health.
The national action would be taken by the future government to fix the "NHS and social care" in the country.
The health policy think tank said it would prioritise "improving access to out-of-hospital care", making "careers in health and social care" more attractive
and tackling the biggest risk factors affecting people's health.
It highlighted that workforce crisis is one of the biggest challenges faced by the National Health Service (NHS) and social care services in England while
citing "years of poor planning and fragmented responsibilities" as the reason for widespread staff shortages.
As per the King's Fund's data, there were more than 125,000 vacancies across the NHS workforce in England in October 2023, not including primary care vacancies
such as GPs, and 152,000 vacant posts in the adult social care workforce.
A new report published today (June 29) by the think tank Policy Exchange highlights key role for community pharmacy in management of primary-secondary care
interface.
The report called Medical Evolution has received cross-party support. It says an equivalent of 15 million GP appointments per year are spent dealing with issues
managing care between GP practices and hospitals.
Research from the think tank also finds 150,000 people could be on 'hidden' waiting lists (where a patient has been referred by a GP for further treatment, but
not included on official hospital waiting lists).
On the eve of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the report calls for the development of 'interface specialists' - which could be undertaken by doctors, nurses or
community pharmacists to enable them to work more routinely across settings and to strategically plan interface working.
Expressing apprehension over the concerning decline in the nursing workforce, Sir Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, urged the forthcoming government
to bolster investment in nursing education and enhance support for student nurses.
Recent analysis from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has projected that the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will fall short by 10,000 new nurses by 2025.
Commenting on the RCN analysis, Sir Hartley underscored the critical importance of having an adequate number of nurses to ensure the delivery of safe,
high-quality patient care.
"Without enough nurses, the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care is compromised," he said.
He cautioned that the predicted shortfall in nurses would exacerbate existing pressures on the NHS, resulting in long waiting times, delayed treatments and
staff burnout.
The government's 200 million dental recovery plan has come under fierce criticism from the opposition party after health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom
admitted that there is a "high likelihood" that it will not deliver 2.5 million dental appointments.
Published last month, the plan is aimed at ensuring easier and faster access to NHS dental care across England, with up to 1.5 million extra treatments expected
to be delivered over the next 12 months. Various new measures were set out to attract new dentists, including increasing dental training places by up to
40 per cent by 2032, as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
On Tuesday, Leadsom told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee that the figure was based on NHS modelling of a "complicated set of factors" and there
is "quite a high likelihood of not being reliable as is the case with all modelling."
Preeti Kaur Gill MP, shadow minister for primary care and public health, expressed shock over the admission by the public health minister that there is
uncertainty regarding the plan's ability to deliver on its promises, which she said: "shows the Conservatives are out of ideas and out of time."
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.