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NHS Future Forum
English Pharmacy Board views on the future of the NHS
Our work with the NHS Future Forum
The new 'NHS Future Forum' provided a valuable channel for the thoughts and opinions of patients and staff on the ground.
The listening exercise focused on pharmacist’s views on the topics listed below. Click on the links below to see what the Society said to the Future Forum about these topics:
1. Composition of Clinically-led Consortia and Health and Wellbeing Boards »
2. Delivering better care within primary care and across care boundaries »
3. National, regional and local framework »
4. Governance, clarity and responsibility in the new structure »
What you told us about the Governments proposals on the English NHS
To inform our thinking on the response to the NHS Future Forum’s we asked for your views on:
• Advice can improve patient care
• The role of Choice and competition to drive up quality
• Public accountability and Involvement
• Education and Training
The dominant theme that ran through the responses was the need to have pharmacy representation at all levels of the new governance structure and many concerns were raised regarding the lack of pharmacists on the GP Commissioning Board.
Many members felt that the role of the pharmacist was not recognised and called for enhancement and recognition of their public facing role within the new structures.
The lack of a multi disciplinary approach to commissioning was also highlighted.
Competition within the NHS was raised as a concern and many feared a progression towards privatisation.
There was a call for national standards for service provision as duplication of services wasted vital resources. National service provision would also allow for an evidence base to be developed. There was also a call for research funding to be made available.
It was thought that pharmacists have a greater role to play in medicines management and medicines wastage.
The Governments response to the Future Forum report – our impact
The RPS was pleased to see the Government take account of its listening exercise and translate the Future Forum report into new Government policy. The policy document published by the Government on 20th June 2011 recognises what healthcare stakeholders have said about the original version of the Health and Social Care Bill.
The RPS believes the new measures incorporated within the Health and Social Care Bill are a substantial improvement on the original Bill. The new legislation is likely to provide better choice and a better standard of care at a time and place that suits the patients, We will maintain a watching brief over the Government’s proposed amendments, seek clarification on those issues that haven’t been fully explained, and continue to lobby for those issues we must be included in this Bill.
We have grouped, the issues contained all the key aspects of the Bill that the profession believed should be amended under five separate headings, click on the links below to find out more.
1. Composition of Clinically-led Consortia and Health and Wellbeing Boards »
2. Delivering better care within primary care and across care boundaries »
3. National, regional and local frameworks »
4. Governance, clarity and responsibility in the new structure »