News

Clinical pharmacists to boost GP services for patients and practices

Nearly 34 million patients will benefit from improved GP services as NHS England increases the number of surgery-based clinical pharmacists that can offer expert medication and treatment.

The NHS England scheme has proved popular with both patients and GP practices and today’s announcement approves funding for over 160 more pharmacists.

Including previously approved posts, it will increase the number of clinical pharmacists in general practice from around 580 currently working to over 1,100 pharmacists across over 3,200 GP practices – over 40 per cent of surgeries in the country – and a population of nearly 34 million patients, with more planned.

In the North East and North Cumbria, 38 pharmacists (whole time equivalent) have joined following waves 1 and 2, with a further 24 (whole time equivalent) set to be recruited in the latest wave. The areas covered by the scheme include general practices in Tees Valley, County Durham, Sunderland, South Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Cumbria.

Christine Keen, Director of Commissioning, Cumbria and the North East, said: “Clinical pharmacists are improving provision at general practices and hospitals delivering quicker access to clinical advice for patients.

“They are helping practices and patients by offering face-to-face pharmacy support and working as part of the clinical team to enable more patients to have access to appropriate care from their general practice. The scheme is making a significant difference to patient healthcare and to GP workload in the region.”

Clinical pharmacists work as part of the general practice team by offering clinical expertise on day-to-day medicine issues and providing consultations with patients directly.

This includes extra help to manage long-term conditions such as high blood pressure earlier and more effectively to prevent cardiovascular disease; advice for those on a variety of medications and offering better access to health checks.

This all delivers quicker access to clinical advice for patients and frees GPs to spend more time attending patients with the greatest needs.

David Jones, a clinical pharmacist at the Molineux Street NHS Centre, Byker, Newcastle upon TyneTony O’Neill is a clinical pharmacist working at the Manor House Surgery in Middlesbrough and started in practice in wave 1 in May 2016. He said: “I find working in general practice to be very rewarding both personally and professionally.  My role is varied and my time is split 50:50 between seeing patients in clinic and administrative tasks.

“I see patients for a variety of things including medication reviews, blood pressure or diabetes management.  I also have a minor ailment clinic and manage medicine reconciliation of discharges, repeat prescriptions and patient safety audits.

“The feedback I get from patients and clinicians is incredibly positive as they really appreciate having a pharmacist in the practice and value the expertise and knowledge that I bring.”

Clinical pharmacist, David Jones, who is based at the Thornfield Medical Group in Byker, Newcastle, said: “I joined the NHSE GP pharmacist pilot in June 2016 as part of the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust GP pilot team.

“Most of my patient-facing contact time is spent providing high-quality, timely and person-centered care to those patients who need it the most – particularly housebound patients, those with complex medication regimens, multimorbidity and polypharmacy, and long-term conditions.

“I believe patient feedback is a powerful marker of assessing success and many of our patients who have consulted with a clinical pharmacist value the time we have to spend with them, considering their ideas, concerns and expectations, and feel empowered to manage their own health and medicines.

“The clinical pharmacist role allows access to a healthcare professional who is an expert in medicines and health, when there may not be GP availability, improving access to care at a time when it is needed most.

“As a valued and integrated member of the clinical team within the practice, it is apparent that the role of the clinical pharmacist is helping relieve increasing pressures on general practice, and allowing patients to receive the most appropriate care, in a more timely manner, when they need it.”

NHS England is now encouraging applications to the next wave of the scheme from across the country by 19 January 2018.

Dr Arvind Madan, GP and NHS England Director of Primary Care, said: “The clinical pharmacist programme has proven to be hugely popular with practices and patients and pharmacists themselves.

“Clinical pharmacists have a wealth of knowledge and skills to offer great patient care, in a more convenient way and also taking some of the pressure off GPs, particularly at this time of year when we know demand is even greater than usual.”

NHS England, Health Education England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association’s GP Committee are working with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to support the programme roll out.