Editor’s viewpoint: Celts, cuts and colleges

It will come as no comfort to pharmacy contractors in England that colleagues in Scotland and Wales have secured a 6 per cent funding uplift. With English pharmacies closing at a rate of more than one per day, caught in a deadly maw of rising costs and diminishing income, it has become a grim battle of survival for those that are left.

What stood out for me were the comments made by Jenni Minto, Scotland’s minister for public health. Acknowledging the vital work of community pharmacies in reducing the burden on the NHS and securing medicines supply for patients, she said: “I am pleased our negotiations … were held with the shared aim of putting financial arrangements in place that best support Scotland’s exemplary community pharmacy network, while balancing our financial obligations.”

That such an enlightened, pragmatic and economically sensible approach is not taken by politicians south of the border continues to beggar belief.   

At least the reduction in the number of Pharmacy First consultations needed to qualify for the monthly £1,000 payment in October was a pragmatic move given the continuing problems with GP referrals and the Government’s lamentable failure to adequately promote the service. However, with so many pharmacies struggling to hit the thresholds, the fear is that they could walk away from the service entirely. This would be a disaster, not only for pharmacy but also for patients and the NHS.

Meanwhile, flying under the radar somewhat, the RPS has belatedly announced its intention to seek Royal College status. Although by no means a foregone conclusion, it is the right decision for the profession and certainly the right one for the Society, whose members have been voting with their feet.

The challenge now is for the RPS to articulate clearly to members – and more especially non-members – why this is the best and perhaps only realistic course of action open to it. Better get cracking then.