Agenda item

Report of Jane Fowles, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Co-Chair of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Steering Group

The Board considered a report and received a presentation of Jane Fowles, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Co-Chair of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Steering Group which provided a progress update on the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for Coventry. Information was provided on the key findings from the draft PNA and the statutory consultation. The PNA was undertaken by NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit who were jointly commissioned by Coventry and Warwickshire Councils and overseen by a Steering Group of partners.

The report highlighted that local Health and Wellbeing Boards had statutory responsibility for the publications of PNAs every three years. The next Coventry PNA was due for publication by April 2018. The Coventry PNA considered current and future provision of services from community pharmacy in relation to local health needs. It aimed to assess if there were enough pharmacies throughout the city, located in areas of need and offering a range of suitable services tailored to local need and wider service provision. The PNA was used by NHS England when deciding if new pharmacies or dispensing GPs were needed.

The draft PNA was informed by a range of activities including a survey of local pharmacies, a recent Healthwatch report, a bespoke public consultation survey and local commissioning intelligence. There was a statutory requirement for a 60 day consultation which was currently underway.

The report set out the key finding from the draft PNA relating to access to pharmacy services; essential services; advanced services; locally commissioned services; and healthy living pharmacies. In summary the findings were:

·  There were currently adequate pharmaceutical service provision (locations, opening hours and wider access) across Coventry and no need for additional providers was identified in the PNA

·  Awareness of pharmacy opening hours and services offered could be improved

·  Public survey results showed that there was high satisfaction with pharmacy access and an appetite for more services to be provided from community pharmacy

·  Advanced services offered from community pharmacy could be more actively embedded into local pathways to support better outcomes for patients and best use of commissioned services

·  The HLP (Healthy Living Pharmacies) framework offered a platform for Coventry to more effectively embed community pharmacy into local pathways and enhance the role of community pharmacies to support prevention and better outcomes for patients.

The Board noted that the PNA was due to be published by 1^st April, 2018.

The presentation set out the purpose of the PNA; explained how the PNA was informed; highlighted the key findings and recommendations, informed of the statutory consultation; and concluded with the recommendations for the Board.

Members raised a number of issues in response to the presentation including   expressing support for the draft PNA; the positive experience of being a representative on the Steering Group; an assurance that there was not any duplication of services; the potential for pharmacists to be able to access patient records; the options for clinical pharmacists to be sited in GP surgeries; further details about the level of engagement with the draft PNA; and details about Coventry University winning the tender to develop and train pharmacy technicians.     

RESOLVED that:

(1) The headline findings of the draft PNA be noted.

(2) It be noted that the draft PNA is under consultation and will be finalised following collation of feedback and discussion by the PNA Steering Group.

(3) Approval be given for Councillor Caan, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Liz Gaulton, Acting Director of Public Health to sign off the final PNA prior to publication by April 2018.

(4) Support be given to the recommendation that the PNA Steering Group becomes a Community Pharmacy Steering Group:

a) Supporting delivery of recommendations within the PNA

b) Holding delegated responsibility for determining the need for supplementary statements and revisions to the PNA.