Agenda item

The Committee received a report of Director of Public Health, Durham County Council that presented the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Director of Public Health advised that there was a statutory duty to produce a PNA every three years.  The new PNA was out for public consultation until 26 January 2018 and would be approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board before publication on 1 April 2018. 

The Public Health Pharmacist said that the PNA considered the health needs of the population and the provision of pharmaceutical services and a judgement would be made if there was sufficient services or potential gaps.  The conclusion of the PNA said that there were sufficient services across County Durham. The Public Health Pharmacist thanked Healthwatch for their involvement with the survey and the number of good public responses received. 

The Public Health Pharmacist added that the PNA was a live document that would be backed up by supplementary statements as and when changes in pharmacy services occurred.  These changes would be kept under review by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Councillor Bell referred to the cuts to pharmacy services and was advised that this was under the national Pharmacy contract from December 2016.  On answering a further question from Councillor Bell, the Public Health Pharmacist explained that the government were responsible for the campaign about using your pharmacist for certain issues rather than your GP.  She added that this campaign was welcomed from the pharmacists.

Referring to the draft PNA, Councillor Davinson informed the team that on page 74 the Middles Farm Village was in Craghead and not Stanley.

Councillor Darkes also commented that on page 74 of the PNA that the number of houses left to be built on land north of Durham Road, Middlestone Moor has increased from 300 to 336.

Councillor Temple was advised that the PNA looks at the quantity of services in an area and that NHS England were responsible for monitoring the quality and the offer of services. 

The Chairman referred to the number of pharmacists that were not accessible by wheelchair and asked what was doing done by the Health and Wellbeing Board to address this.  He also asked that when a pharmacy made any changes that affected a community could this be done in a more timely manner to ensure that what happened at the Weardale practice did not happen in future, as he was concerned at the short timescale that had been involved with this closure.  He further asked about the STP cover from North Yorkshire and whether the strategy would fit into that.

The Public Health Pharmacist said that a recommendation would go to the Health and Wellbeing Board around wheelchair accessibility and they could take this issue up with the Local Pharmacy Committee.  She also explained that generally with a closure notice would be given three months in advance but unfortunately, the Weardale practice closed very quickly to protect the safety of patients.  The service were in regular contact with NHS England who would report matters of any changes as soon as they emerged.

Following on from this point, Councillor Patterson said that as two people had offered to take up the vacant posts at the Weardale practice she could not understand the reason to close was due to the lack of qualified staff.  The Public Health Pharmacist explained that the GP had overall clinical responsibility for the dispensary and that it was the decision of the GP to close the service.

The Director of Public Health informed the Committee that the final STP report to Health and Wellbeing Board would invite leads from the Pharmacy Committee to advise on what could be offered.  She added that colleagues from the CCGs would ensure that the offers fed into with STPs and were linked to the prevention workstream.  The Health and Wellbeing Board would also feed into the appropriate workstreams.

Following a concern raised from Mrs Hassoon, the Public Health Pharmacist assured the Committee that all pharmacists should now have a confidential consultation room as this formed part of the national contract.

Resolved:

That comments on the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment be noted.