 The LPC has learned that contractors are eligible to sign up for priority access to utilities and would like to ensure all contractors are aware of this.
Inclusion on this register should mean your pharmacy has priority access to electricity, water and gas supplies in the event of shortages. This is a useful precaution to boost your pharmacy’s business continuity plan. (Community pharmacy contractors confirm each year that business continuity arrangements are in place via their Data Security and Protection toolkit declarations.) How to sign-up? Your utility bills may explain how to sign-up and provide contact details. Alternatively, identify who your energy supplier is at the Energy Networks Association’s (ENA’s) website or search for “PSR” and or “Priority Service Register” on your utility company websites. Whilst signing up, tick the information-sharing box to confirm your details can be shared between utility companies for PSR purposes. When requesting priority (usually via an online form):
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 Workforce challenges are currently adversely impacting most sectors of the UK economy, but they are being particularly acutely felt within community pharmacy with serious consequences for pharmacy contractors.
PSNC and the other national pharmacy bodies have called for improved workforce planning to be undertaken by the Government and NHS, but for this to happen, high quality workforce data for community pharmacy needs to be available. Mandatory completion of the workforce survey – required by 30th November 2022For this reason, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and PSNC agreed that it would become a Terms of Service requirement for contractors to complete the annual Health Education England (HEE) community pharmacy workforce survey, which will provide a full picture of the community pharmacy workforce, including identifying the number of vacancies and regions where these are particularly hard to fill. Regulations were laid in Parliament which made this a requirement of the Terms of Service from 1st October 2022. All pharmacy contractors are required to submit data via the survey, during the eight week submission period, which closes on 30th November 2022. The data is being collected through two different methods:
What will I need to do? Pharmacy contractors will be contacted via emails from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to complete the survey online, with the first email having been sent on 6th October 2022. The email will contain further information on the process and a link to the online survey. Those that do not receive an email invitation from the NHSBSA can expect their head office to submit data on their behalf. If in doubt, check with your head office. If you think your pharmacy should have received an email invitation to complete the survey from the NHSBSA, but you cannot find one, please email [email protected]. Contractors who do not return the survey, will receive reminder emails from the NHSBSA to complete the survey before the closing date. For further information see the PSNC page by clicking here. |
Copies of our older Paper Based News Letters (The LPC News) can be found by clicking below.
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