Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) looks at the current provision of pharmaceutical services across Stockport’s Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) area, assesses whether this meets the current needs of the population and identifies any potential gaps to service delivery. The report provides Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee with an opportunity to discuss and comment on the draft 2022 PNA document and also to examine the consultation process.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Eleanor Banister on 0161 474 2447 or email: eleanor.banister@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) which outlined the current provision of pharmaceutical services across Stockport’s Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) area, assessed whether this met the current needs of the population and identified any potential gaps to service delivery. The report provided Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee with an opportunity to discuss and comment on the draft 2022 PNA document and also to examine the consultation process.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         It was noted that future pharmaceutical provision would be required on completion of the Woodford Aerodrome development and requested assurance that this would be considered.

·         In response, it was confirmed that this development would be kept under review and actioned as appropriate.

·         It was queried what work was being done to signpost people to the services provided by community pharmacies and what more could be done.

·         In response, Members were informed that the sector relied on a range of communication tools such as the NHS UK website to support and direct patients in the most appropriate way to meet their healthcare needs for the relevant conditions. The council was also encouraging and supporting GPs to ensure that the appropriate communications were on their practice websites and telephone systems to enable residents to consider the pharmacy option. It was also reported that ad-hoc leaflets were published and shared with residents, specifically round bank holidays, which seeks to provide information and inform people that pharmacies can be used an alternative health service when other services were temporarily closed.

·         That it would be useful to gauge feedback from colleagues in pharmacies as their workload increased in order to alleviate pressure on other health services.

·         It was queried how pharmacy services were monitored, supervised and audited.

·         In response it was stated that there was a Local Pharmaceutical Committee which meets regularly and reviews pharmacy services. Within pharmaceutical services there were different elements which commission different services. With the main pharmaceutical contracts being monitored through NHS England and their mechanisms for monitoring use partnership agencies, whereas the specialist services such as smoking cessation were commissioned through Local Authorities via a lead provider.  Where services were commissioned by the Local Authority or on behalf of the Local Authority there was performance monitoring information and systems such as Pharm Outcomes were used to record those interactions and were able to undertake audits of the records that were generated through these systems. Ongoing work with NHS England was also undertaken to assess the health system as a whole and whether people’s needs were being met. 

·         It was reported that whilst the council were unable to force pharmacies to provide services, it was their role as the commissioner of the services to support and develop the offers using their partner relationships to have positive discussions.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.