Agenda item - Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment - Supplementary Statement and Working Draft of PNA report of Conclusions and Recommendations

Report of Public Health Principal (copy attached).

Introduction

34.1    The Board considered a report of the Public Health Principal which presented an updated supplementary statement to the 2010 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.   The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment was a comprehensive statement of the need for pharmaceutical services in the population of the area.  The report also presented a working draft of conclusions and recommendations of the ongoing PNA for discussion.  The PNA Steering Group would approve the draft of the PNA report prior to a 60 day consultation period.  The final draft would be presented to the HWB in March 2015 for approval.

Questions and Discussion

34.2   Councillor Morgan mentioned that there had been issues in the past in his ward in relation to coverage.  There had been a two year battle to get a replacement pharmacy following a closure.  He asked for more information about coverage.  The Public Health Principal replied that this detail was provided in the report.  Pharmacies were positioned close to where people lived. 

34.3   Fiona Harris stated that it would be useful to clarify issues with regard to the awarding of contracts.  The process was carried out by NHS England.  There had been some changes to make the process more focused on need.  A good application from pharmacies would highlight need. 

34.4   The Chair raised the issue of pharmacies in supermarkets.  Fiona Harris explained that if the supermarket was undergoing a major relocation they would need to re-apply to NHS England to be included on the pharmaceutical list. 

34.5   Fran McCabe stated that work carried out by Healthwatch showed that people were concerned about the out of hours service.  She stressed that work needed to be carried out on informing people about the range of services on offer, and questioned whether pharmacies had sufficient capacity to take on more work. 

34.6   The Chair suggested that Ms McCabe shared data with the Public Health Principal.  Meanwhile, the Public Health Principal offered to share more details about the out of hours service details in the report.

34.7   Councillor Theobald reported that he had recently tried to use a pharmacy near Hove Town Hall which was about to close.  The staff did not know where the nearest out of hours pharmacy was situated.  Councillor Theobald suggested that notices could be placed in the windows of pharmacies stating the location of the nearest out of hours pharmacy.  

34.8   Christa Beesley explained that work was being carried out to have a mobile phone enabled website to state where the nearest pharmacy was situated.  However, she agreed that notices in windows would be equally useful.

34.9   Geraldine Hoban reported that a pharmacy in the Seven Dials was open to 10.00pm.  She stressed that the role of pharmacies was an untapped resource in the city and should be used more.  For example, this was happening within the dermatology service.  Instead of attending a GP, patients could attend a local pharmacy.   This could be extended to other long term conditions.   She requested that this suggestion was included in the consultation. 

34.10  Jonny Coxon requested that there should be an update on Epic at the Health & Wellbeing Board.  There was a need for record sharing between pharmacies and GP’s surgeries.  

34.11  The Chair agreed that an update on Epic should be included in the forward plan for the HWB.

34.12  George Mack asked if NHS England had supported the work on the PNA.  Fiona Harris confirmed that NHS England had supported the PNA.  There was a partnership between NHS England who had responsibility for the commissioning of this core service and local commissioners who carried out detailed work.       

34.13  Tom Scanlon stressed that work on the PNA was a shared responsibility.  Partners would be building on good work.

34.14  Resolved –

(1)  That the updated supplementary statement to the 2010 Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) be approved.

(2) That it is noted that the paper also presents a working draft of conclusions and recommendations of the ongoing 2015 PNA for discussion as requested by the HWB at the meeting on 05/02/2014.  It is further noted that the PNA Steering Group will approve the draft of the PNA report prior to a 60-day consultation period, as agreed at the HWB meeting 5^th February 2014. The final draft PNA document will be presented to the HWB in March 2015 for approval.