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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a public consultation to gather feedback on government proposals to eliminate modern slavery from the NHS supply chain. This initiative follows a recent government review which revealed that over 21 per cent of NHS suppliers are at high risk of involving modern slavery in the procurement of medical equipment, particularly surgical instruments, gloves, gowns, uniforms, and face masks. The proposed measures would require public bodies procuring goods and services for the NHS to work with suppliers to identify risks and put forward solutions. These new regulations would apply to all public bodies procuring health goods and services, including NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and local authorities. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "The NHS is a public service built on compassion and equality, values which are completely antithetical to the heinous evil of modern slavery." "These new measures will ensure vital checks are made and public bodies act to stamp out the crimes of slavery and human trafficking." He also stated that his government will ensure the NHS leads the fight against modern slavery.

A groundbreaking research project has revealed that the public is urging the government to prioritise primary and community care over hospitals. The study also found a strong public willingness to pay higher taxes to enhance NHS services. The Health Foundation and Ipsos UK conducted the research, combining nationwide polling with in-depth public deliberative workshops. These workshops, held in King's Lynn, Leeds, and London, constitute one of the most comprehensive public consultations about the future of the NHS in England. The study published on 16 May underscores the public's desire for a redistribution of NHS resources. If the NHS budget remains unchanged, 60 per cent of those polled believe the government should focus on improving access to community-based services like general practice and dentistry.

On World Head and Neck Cancer Day today (27 July), the National Health Service (NHS) has launched a new partnership with the British supermarket chain, Asda to raise awareness of mouth cancer symptoms. As part of this partnership, the NHS will provide vital advice on millions of toothpaste tubes and mouthwash bottles, urging people to consult their GP or dentist if they notice any potential symptoms of mouth cancer. Starting this month, the grocer's own brand of oral hygiene products will feature NHS advice in over 500 Asda stores nationwide. The NHS guidance will be displayed on the packaging, along with a link to more detailed information about mouth and throat cancer on the health service website. Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: "Early detection of mouth cancer can help save lives and this fantastic new partnership with Asda will be vital in raising awareness of the signs and in supporting the NHS's ambition to diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage.

Most people in Great Britain believe that new junior doctors, nurses and health care assistants are underpaid, senior doctors and matrons are paid about right, and NHS CEOs are paid too much, according to a new study. About half the people surveyed indicated that newly qualified junior doctors are paid too little, with this sentiment increasing to three in five (60 per cent) among Labour voters. The research conducted by the Policy Institute at King's College London, King's Business School, and Ipsos also showed that more people believe NHS staff overall were badly paid than well paid. Dr Nick Krachler, senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at King's Business School, said: "Our survey shows considerable alignment between public perception of NHS pay levels and the claims of trade unions and professional associations that pay levels - which are determined by government after consultation from a Pay Review Body - ​are unsatisfactory for frontline NHS roles." He highlighted the urgent need to address healthcare workers' economic wellbeing, hoping that the new government will consider it in its upcoming negotiations with junior doctors this week.

In a recent report released by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), data from the NHS Pharmacy First service indicates a substantial uptake and positive impact on patient care just two months after its launch. The CCA's findings shed light on the service's efficacy in meeting patient needs and its potential to alleviate pressure on General Practices (GPs) within the NHS. According to the report, over 90,000 Pharmacy First consultations were conducted solely by CCA members within the initial two-month period. Impressively, 88 per cent of these consultations, totaling 81,627, were deemed eligible for NHS-funded care indicating a significant demand for the service among patients. In the first month, the data revealed that more than 90 per cent of eligible patients received necessary care directly through Pharmacy First, bypassing the need for further referral.

NHS England announced at the Pharmacy Show this morning that Ministers have decided to amend the Pharmacy First thresholds for the remainder of the year. This decision follows concerns raised by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) regarding difficulties faced by pharmacy owners in meeting the required number of clinical pathway consultations for monthly Pharmacy First payments In response to CPE's representations to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, the threshold was earlier reduced from 20 to 15 in August, and from 30 to 20 in October. At the Pharmacy Show on Monday, Ali Sparke from NHS England announced the revised thresholds, setting them at 20 for November and December 2024. Starting in January and February 2025, the number of clinical pathway consultations needed for the monthly Pharmacy First payment will rise to 25, with a further increase to 30 in March.

The new Labour government has pledged to deliver an extra 40,000 NHS appointments, operations and diagnostics every week, equivalent to two million a year, to tackle the ongoing waiting list crisis. It aims to ensure that 92 per cent of patients start routine hospital treatment within 18 weeks by the end of this parliament - a target that has not been met for nearly a decade. However, a new analysis by healthcare consultancy CF (Carnall Farrar) and the NHS Confederation has revealed that these extra appointments alone will not be enough to achieve the 18-week Referral To Treatment (RTT) target by 2028/29. The study estimates that 40,000 extra appointments per week would deliver only about 15 per cent of the additional activity required to hit the 18-week target, assuming demand continues to grow at current rates and care delivery remains unchanged. While the report acknowledged that increasing capacity is a positive step, it stresses that further reforms and transformations in care pathways are necessary to bridge the gap.

Wes Streeting's speech at the Labour Party Conference 2024 outlines several key health and social care reforms, which hold significant implications for community pharmacy in England. His focus on reforming and rebuilding the NHS to ensure fair, universal access to care, with prevention and early intervention at its core, presents both opportunities and challenges for community pharmacy. Here are the potential implications: 1. Prevention Focus Streeting's vision of a shift from a reactive, hospital-based model to a preventive healthcare system presents a promising future for community pharmacies. These changes could significantly reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals, integrating pharmacies more closely into primary care networks and enhancing their role in preventive care. 2. Digital Transformation The move from an "analogue to digital" NHS could see community pharmacies adopting more digital tools and systems for service delivery. This would likely involve greater use of digital prescribing, telehealth consultations, and AI-driven services. Pharmacies will need to invest in digital infrastructure and ensure that pharmacy professionals are trained to operate within a more tech-centric environment. 3. Reform and Redistribution of Services Streeting's plans to extend choice and equitable access to services mean that community pharmacies could become integral to providing care in underserved or disadvantaged areas. With a focus on decentralising healthcare and bringing it closer to local communities, community pharmacies could play a more significant role in supporting healthcare delivery in areas where GP services are stretched. This may include expanding access to pharmacy services in the most deprived areas, aligning with Labour's emphasis on addressing health inequalities.

Health secretary Sajid Javid vouches support for a "pharmacy first" model of care for minor illnesses, to help clear the backlog of NHS care arising due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the National Pharmacy Association's (NPA) centenary dinner in central London on Wednesday (November 24), Javid said he wanted to "go further" than existing services like the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, to make it "quicker and easier" for people to access primary care. He said: "I want to see how much further we can go. That's one of the reasons why we're working up plans for a pharmacy first model in England that will direct more patients directly to pharmacies without having to go to see their GPs. This will help us to beat the backlog and make sure that even more people can benefit from (pharmacists') brilliant advice and care." Expressing his commitment to transform every aspect of health and care in the country he said that community pharmacies should be "at the very heart of primary care - not just treating people but preventing people from becoming patients in the first place."

Pharmacies are valuable healthcare assets, meeting increasing public demand. However, a substantial portion of their capacity is consumed by unfunded work. According to Community Pharmacy England's (CPE) 2024 Pharmacy Advice Audit, community pharmacies conduct over 1.3 million unfunded consultations each week, equating to 69 million annually. The average pharmacy completes around 22 of these consultations daily, each taking approximately 5.6 minutes of staff time -adding up to over two hours daily. This represents nearly 50 per cent more consultations than in 2020 and a 78 per cent increase in time spent on unfunded healthcare advice since the 2020 audit. The audit, which surveyed over a third (3,916) of community pharmacies in England earlier this year, also highlights that pharmacies handle nearly 150,000 informal referrals from GPs and NHS 111 each week. All these referrals could have been routed through the Pharmacy First service, which would have potentially secured over £115 million in funding for the sector, the CPE noted.

A recent analysis conducted by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed stark disparities in patient engagement with the Pharmacy First service across the country, likening the pattern to a 'patchwork quilt'. It indicated that patients in the highest-performing Integrated Care System (ICS) received seven times more Pharmacy First consultations than those in the lowest-performing regions. As of April 21, more than 3,000 CCA member pharmacies had delivered 126,484 Pharmacy First consultations since the programme's launch. However, the analysis found significant regional variations, with nearly 13,000 consultations completed in the North East and North Cumbria ICS, while only 948 were completed in Gloucestershire ICS. The CCA calculated that if every ICS had as many consultations as the highest-performing ICS, there would have been an additional 600,000 Pharmacy First consultations nationwide.

The Community Pharmacy Walk-In Consultation Service (WICS), offering treatment for various minor ailments, recorded 19,567 consultations in 2024. This marks a 61 per cent increase compared to the 12,138 consultations recorded in 2023, according to data released by Community Pharmacy Cornwall (CPC) and obtained by The Pharmaceutical Journal. Launched in community pharmacies across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in January 2021, the minor ailment scheme is commissioned by the NHS and CPC. It enables locally accredited community pharmacists to supply prescription-only-medicines (POMs) for the treatment of several common conditions utilising patient group directions (PGDs) that Pharmacy First does not currently cover. These include vaginal candidiasis (vaginal thrush), dermatitis, migraine, conjunctivitis, and emergency hormonal contraception. Since its launch, the service has facilitated over 38,000 consultations, with 80 per cent of them resulting in advice or treatment that concluded the consultation in the pharmacy. WICS data also indicates that the service has helped avoid an estimated 30,000 GP appointments and more than 500 inappropriate A&E visits since its inception.

Since its launch on January 31st, the Pharmacy First service by the Company Chemists Association (CCA) has achieved a significant milestone, completing over 200,000 consultations to date. This milestone underscores the service's vital role in providing same-day NHS care through community pharmacies across England. Recent analysis by the CCA has revealed a pressing need to bolster GP referrals, with disparities observed between different Integrated Care System (ICS) areas, resulting in what's described as a 'postcode lottery' for patients. CCA Chief Executive, Malcolm Harrison, emphasised the importance of sustained funding for Pharmacy First beyond 2025, ensuring its availability for patients, community pharmacies, and the wider NHS.

Community pharmacy continues to play a crucial role in providing patients with access to essential NHS care through the Pharmacy First service, especially when other parts of the healthcare system are difficult to reach. According to the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the sector delivered an estimated 65,000 Pharmacy First consultations in the week leading up to Christmas, marking a 10 per cent increase compared to previous weeks. At a Rowland's Pharmacy in Warsop, Mansfield, pharmacist Taseta saw a notable rise in the number of patients seeking consultations for sore throats, particularly among school children and staff. The pharmacy also experienced an increase in urinary tract infection (UTI) consultations, while earache cases remained consistent. Taseta explained the surge, noting, "Lots of people do not want to be ill over Christmas so [they] wanted easy and quick access to care, which we could do in the pharmacy." They also saw more patients engaging with the Pharmacy Contraception Service, which Taseta attributed to time constraints at the local surgery.

The Dispensing Doctors' Association (DDA) is advising patients left deserted due to pharmacy closures in rural areas to consult their general practice about accessing the GP dispensing service. This recommendation comes in response to concerns that England's rural areas are increasingly becoming pharmacy 'deserts', posing challenges for residents to access essential medications and healthcare services. DDA chairman Dr Richard West said: "The GP dispensing service is designed to ensure NHS medicine supply in areas where people have little or no access to a pharmacy service. "People in rural areas who now live more than a mile from a pharmacy should speak to their GP about whether they can receive the NHS GP dispensing service."

"Patients deserve choice, but wherever they go they will find vacant nursing posts and overstretched services," responded Professor Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, to the introduction of the new pilot scheme for out-of-hospital patient care. The NHSE and the DHSC have announced a new pilot scheme commencing in autumn "offering patients a choice of where they receive out-of-hospital care". Under the initiative, individuals requiring treatment outside of hospitals will have the opportunity to select from a range of providers across both the NHS and the independent sector. Patients can select their care provider for in-hospital consultant-led services post-GP consultation, offering a choice from at least 5 providers with details on waiting times, distance, and quality.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), led by Victoria Atkins MP and Maria Caulfield MP, has unveiled proposed updates to the NHS Constitution for England, aiming to fortify the principles of privacy, dignity, and safety for all patients. Martha's rule was prompted by a campaign led by the parents of 13-year-old Martha Mills who tragically succumbed to sepsis after staff at King's College Hospital failed to escalate her care to intensive care, despite her family's pleas regarding her worsening condition in 2021. Under the new guidance is the introduction of Martha's Rule, empowering patients to request intimate care from someone of the same biological sex ensuring that the distinct needs of men and women are recognized and addressed. Patients and their loved ones can exercise the right to "access to a rapid review from outside the care team if the patient is deteriorating." The consultation on the proposed updates is set to run for eight weeks, inviting feedback from patients, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders for a review

As the general election campaign heats up, major political parties - including Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats - have released their manifestos, detailing their plans and visions for the future of community pharmacy. While the Conservative Party promises to expand Pharmacy First initiative, Labour pledges support for small businesses, with plans to overhaul the business rates system. The Liberal Democrats' election manifesto commits to developing a fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model for pharmacies. Announcing their plans recently, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that they are investing in community care services to secure the future of the NHS and make healthcare more accessible. The Conservatives plan to fund these initiatives by cutting NHS managerial positions back to pre-pandemic levels and halving the government's management consultancy expenditure.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has voiced strong opposition to the Environment Agency's (EA) proposals to increase waste charges, set to be implemented in April 2025. The EA launched a consultation on these proposals from 11 November 2024 to 20 January 2025, seeking feedback on new regulatory charges for waste activities, including waste exemptions, a waste crime levy, and adjustments to hourly rates for certain activities. The agency emphasised that these charge proposals are designed to fund regulatory work targeting waste crime. In its response, CPE said that they "strongly disagree" with the proposed registration charge of £56 for waste exemptions, which would apply for a three-year period. The CPE argued that such charges would "put further pressure on a sector that is already at breaking point" and they "have no ability to pass on costs to their NHS patients." "NHS community pharmacies are experiencing significant financial pressures due to chronic government underfunding and the current economic climate," CPE stated.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called on the NHS and the Department of Health to immediately publish the government-commissioned analysis of pharmacy underfunding and reveal the true scale of the crisis. Commissioned by NHS England, the long-awaited independent review is expected to "lay bare the perilous financial state" of community pharmacies, which is a vital part of the nation's health infrastructure. However, the NPA is concerned that the government may delay its release until after current funding consultations are concluded. The NPA argued that the public needs to understand the fragile nature of the pharmacy network before any new deal can be agreed. It has also warned health officials not to hide "the true scale of funding needed to reverse a decade of swingeing cuts", which has forced record numbers of pharmacy closures. NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "It would be a scandal to keep that evidence buried secret and leave MPs, pharmacies and the public in the dark." He acknowledged that the new government has inherited a crisis in pharmacy funding and emphasised that it will need to take "strong action" to maintain access to medicines.