 If you're admitted to hospital on a Monday, the evidence shows that you've got a better chance of a speedy recovery than if you're admitted on a Saturday...
(http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/evidence-base.pdf) Why is this you may ask? Well, it's because it seems that there are more errors in hospitals at a weekend leading to a higher mortality rate, and poorer service. Perhaps this is because there are less staff present, leading to more errors on a weekend? Whatever the reason, hospitals are starting to move towards a 7 day service. There's also the fact that operating theatres are less used on a Saturday or Sunday at present and this represents a good increase in productivity if they're used fully over a weekend. This will have a big impact on staff in hospitals as they will all eventually become sort of shift workers... This is a major change for hospitals with huge challenges. Community pharmacy has always been a 7 day per week profession. Many pharmacies are open over the weekend although overall provision is less than during the normal week-days. We've heard recently, however, that the Prime-Minister has promised a 7 day GP week by 2020...this will have a major impact on pharmacy costs as the work load will be spread over more days...Let's hope funding follows! It's important that everyone ensures that they have a good work/life balance!
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 Community pharmacists have an important role in educating the public about the risks associated with excessive alcohol drinking and promoting safe alcohol consumption...one of the ways we can help is by simply talking to patients giving brief advice, but initiating the conversation can be challenging.
The LPC is working with the local authorities to try and get a brief alcohol intervention service up and running using scratch cards to start the conversation. For information, there is a public health media campaign called "Dry January" and it's an attempt to encourage people to abstain from alcohol for 31 days - during the month of January. The campaign will be focussing on the link between alcohol and cancer:-
So, the simple message is: "the more often you drink, the more you increase your risk of developing cancer". If you're interested in supporting the campaign in your pharmacy (or by having a month off alcohol yourself?), then please please visit the dry January website. www.dryjanuary.org.uk Can you stay off the booze for 31 days?  As we enjoy New Year Celebrations, and the year changes into 2015; our thoughts perhaps reflect on the past year and look forward with anticipation to the New Year?
What a year we’ve had in Community Pharmacy... In terms of hassle, perhaps stock shortages were the thing that irritated you the most, but perhaps the most disappointing result last year was the remuneration settlement; which once again has us doing more work for less payment. It reminds us though that the future is in service delivery? We simply must engage as much as possible with locally commissioned services – and the LPC is doing its utmost to get new local services commissioned from any agency that will listen. There will be no new money via the supply chain - so please get involved in any new commissioned services and do them well. Quality of care is important... The NHS has to save money moving forward and Community Pharmacy if commissioned will provide savings... A good example is to make community pharmacy the first port of call for minor ailments...walk-in centres, GP surgeries and casualty departments are really not the place that patients should be accessing minor ailment treatment...give it to Community Pharmacy and there will be better patient access and massive savings to the NHS. Public Health Services like vaccination are another good example. We could be commissioned to provide so much more than flu! The list goes on...and commissioners must start to commission differently. The New Year will almost certainly bring new challenges for community pharmacy in our patch, but your LPC is ideally placed and eager to help. Our news/twitter feeds are always sending out relevant items for contractors, their pharmacists and their support staff and we provide many training events throughout the year. So let’s raise a glass and drink a toast to the future, a future where community pharmacy really is fully embedded in the NHS - providing value for money quality pharmaceutical care to patients...Happy New Year! |
David CarterChairman of Gateshead & South Tyneside LPC gives you his thoughts of the day Archives
July 2015
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