Commenting on a speech today by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock MP, RPS England Chair Prof Claire Anderson said:
“It’s great to hear Matt Hancock’s commitment today to ‘unleash the potential of pharmacies’, including through new services such as the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service.
“Pharmacists expertise will be central to delivering the NHS Long-Term Plan, so it’s vital the Government invests in and supports the pharmacy profession to maximise its contribution to public health, prevention and patient safety.
“This should include investment educating and training the workforce for the future, especially through much needed investment in foundation training and professional development for all pharmacists.
“We also welcome his focus today on supporting the health and care workforce, boosting recruitment and retention, and looking after staff health and wellbeing.
“With 80% of pharmacists in our mental health survey saying they are at high risk of burnout, we have written to him to repeat our call for future support to include all pharmacists, wherever they may work.
“We have also called on the Government to urgently bring forward legislation on inadvertent dispensing errors in hospitals and other settings, to support a culture where people can report errors and learn from honest mistakes.
“As the UK leaves the EU, it is also vital the Government seeks agreement on a future relationship which supports continued patient access to medicines, science and research, and our highly-skilled workforce.”