The majority of LPCs believe their relationship with PSNC has improved this year despite the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A poll conducted by pharmacy's negotiator during a virtual meeting this week that updated 120 delegates from 68 LPCs on its negotiations with the Government and progress on the Wright review found 67 per cent thought the relationship had improved.

Twenty-five per cent said it was the same as last year, 5 per cent thought it had deteriorated and 3 per cent felt it was “worse than ever before.” PSNC said between 107 and 111 LPC representatives responded to the five polls conducted in total. 

Fifty-two per cent of LPCs said they had never been busier but were coping, 36 per cent said they were “too busy and struggling to meet demand”, while 7 per cent reported they were completely overwhelmed. Just 5 per cent said they were coping well.

Forty per cent of LPCs said they had created new relationships with local stakeholders “which will help leverage in the future” and the same percentage said they had strengthened existing relationships. Sixteen per cent said their relationships had not changed and 5 per cent said they had “suffered.”

There was some concern, however, over the engagement of primary care network pharmacy leads with those structures, with 40 per cent saying they were struggling to make progress.

Thirty-two per cent said there was “some engagement but mostly pushback,” 23 per cent had experienced “mostly positive engagement but a little pushback” and 5 per cent of LPCs said their PCN leads were well engaged.

When asked how worried they were about the impact of Brexit on pharmacy, 50 per cent of LPCs said they were concerned pharmacies will be blamed for medicines supply problems.

Twenty-nine per cent said that, coupled with Covid-19, Brexit “could be a disaster,” 17 per cent felt there will be some “but not too many” supply problems and only 3 per cent thought it would not have much impact.