Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring pharmacists to work collaboratively with GP surgeries to help tackle workload pressures.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 sets out how community pharmacy will support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan. Services have been introduced in community pharmacies to relieve pressures on general practitioners (GPs), such as the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, which allows staff in general practices and NHS 111 to refer patients to community pharmacies for advice and treatment of minor illnesses. The majority of community pharmacies also offer blood pressure checks and support for patients who have been prescribed specific new medicines. Negotiations are continuing on additional services which could be delivered by the sector.

The General Pharmaceutical Council is responsible for setting education and training requirements for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain. Following a review in 2021, the Council introduced new standards for pharmacist initial education and training which will ensure that all new pharmacists entering the profession will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to deliver additional clinical roles and provision of healthcare services, including enhanced learning to become independent prescribers upon registration.

Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England are also investing a further £15.9 million over the next four years to increase the number of pharmacy staff in primary and community care and develop skills in the existing workforce.

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) can access the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to improve access to advice and care through a range of professionals and services. PCNs receive full reimbursement for the recruitment of a variety of professions, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physiotherapists and social prescribers. NHS England and HEE are supporting PCNs with training and supervision of these roles to reduce GPs’ workload.

The Pharmacy Integration Programme is part of a wider education reform for pharmacy professionals. Career pathways for pharmacy professionals are being identified across sectors and increasingly within multi-professional integrated health and care teams.