Independent review of Community Pharmacy Contractor Representation and Support welcomed by Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex

In a joint statement the chairs and vice chairs of East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey local pharmaceutical committees said:

Today’s release of the Community Pharmacy Contractor Representation and Support review led by Professor David Wright is welcomed in East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey.

The LPC network across England needs to change to ensure that NHS community pharmacy contractors get the representation they need, when and where they need it. This report has highlighted many of the challenges that our current structures and systems need to address.

The report rightly addresses the centrality of the functions of PSNC and its critical position in supporting and leading the community pharmacy sector and acknowledges that LPC/PSNC workforce is hard working, but a workforce under stress and pressure.

The case for development of a central human resources department to support LPCs is future focused, and something that many LPC chief officers have been calling for a long time. It is very welcomed as it will free up valuable staff time to focus on issues important to the sector.

It is excellent to see that there is a focus on retaining and strengthening local relationship building, so that LPCs and contractors can continue to work to expand and build on the excellent work already started, for example in primary care networks where community pharmacy is starting to be recognised as a key member of primary care teams. This will be tremendously effective at helping us be responsive to local situations and clearly defined local need as and when we need to.

The focus on standardising roles and improving accountability across PSNC and LPCs is very important. Specific mention of the need to reduce duplication across our network and the ability to reflect the populations we serve is long overdue.

And, we are pleased to see our operating model recognised in the report as an example of good practice. It took us around 24 months to get to our current position where we have significantly reduced our costs, increased our profile and presented to all our stakeholders as a well managed, professional organisation. In East Sussex, for example, LPC expenses are now at an eight-year low and the levies paid by contractors during 2018/19 were 6% below the 10 year average. However, the report identifies there is much still to do and we look forward to working with others in the sector to consider and implement the recommendations.

Our LPCs will be meeting individually in July to discuss the findings and then will come together with PSNC to start to agree the best way forward.

Craig McEwan, chair East Sussex LPC  |  Sarah Davis, vice-chair East Sussex LPC

Mark Donaghy, chair West Sussex LPC  |  Gemma Staniforth, vice-chair West Sussex LPC

Rupi Bhasin, Chair Surrey LPC  |  Hemel Chudasama, vice-chair Surrey LPC

Craig McEwan, chair East Sussex LPC

Craig McEwan, East Sussex 

Mark Donaghy, West Sussex 

Rupi Bhasin, Surrey 

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