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RPS England urges new Health Secretary to make the most of pharmacy workforce

Commenting on the appointment of Rt Hon Therese Coffey MP as the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Chair of RPS in England Thorrun Govind said:

“The new Secretary of State is faced with an urgent challenge to improve patient access to care, whilst ensuring hard-working frontline health professionals get the support they need. Pressures are already building ahead of what will be another challenging winter for the NHS.

“I look forward to working with her on how we can make the most of our health and care workforce to support the NHS recovery, which is at the heart of our work with The King’s Fund on developing a vision for pharmacy practice in England.

“As inflation bites and cost of living pressures dominate the agenda, an increased focus on the NHS budget will need fresh thinking on how we support prevention, deliver best value from our medicines, and better manage long-term conditions in the community. I hope the new Government re-energises the progress made towards a potential ‘Pharmacy First’ approach in community pharmacy to support patient access to care.

“This must be supported by a long-term workforce plan backed up with multi-year investment in education and training, which has been delayed year after year but will be vital for training the staff we need to deliver patient care for the future. This must include support for the next generation of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers, who will make a huge difference for patients.”

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