Agenda item

Report by Dr Jason Horsley, the Director of Public Health.

The Health and Wellbeing Board has a statutory responsibility to:

-       Publish a statement of the needs for pharmaceutical services of the population in its area, referred to as a PNA. This briefing defines what needs to be done and the steps we are taking to ensure this is in place.

-       Make a representation to NHS England on consolidation applications of community pharmacies in its area (since December 2016). This briefing notes that a process is being developed to facilitate this requirement.

RECOMMENDED

The Health and Wellbeing Board is asked to:

1.    Approve the plan to refresh the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for Portsmouth.

2.    Note that a process to facilitate the HWB to consider pharmacy consolidation applications within the allotted 45 days is being developed.Approval from the HWB on the proposed process will be sought.

(TAKE IN REPORT)

Dr Jason Horsley introduced the report advising that the Health & Wellbeing Board has a statutory responsibility to:

·         Publish a statement of the needs for pharmaceutical services of the population in its area referred to as a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) and advised that this report defines what needs to be done and the steps being taken to ensure this is in place. 

·         Make a representation to NHS England on consolidation applications of community pharmacies in its area (since December 2016). 

This report notes that a process is being developed to facilitate this requirement.  Dr Horsley advised that there had been a big change in the pharmaceutical provision in that on-line pharmacies had been set up and these impacted on traditional pharmacy models.  He advised that paragraph 4.1 sets out what a PNA has to contain.  He said that paragraph 4.4  shows the proposed timetable for developing the PNA with a view to publishing the final PNA on the website on 1April 2018.

In response to questions the following matters were clarified:

·         It was confirmed that pharmacy businesses are aware of the impending change and Dr Horsley confirmed that his directorate is working with them.

·         It was confirmed that Portsmouth is well supplied with pharmacies but that there is a need to also look at internet provision.

·         It was confirmed that changes in the funding for pharmacies nationally are likely to put pressure on community pharmacies and may mean that some pharmacies are at risk of closing.

·         With regard to a particular query about Tesco's in Fratton wanting a pharmacy which was turned down, it was suggested to the Board that the reason for this may have been that it was considered that adequate provision was already in place.

·         A query was raised about whether in those circumstances Tesco could go ahead without government funding, Dr Horsley said that he would find out whether or not that would be possible.

·         With regard to provision of a status report, the Board was advised that pharmacies would be unlikely to confirm or deny whether or not they intended to close which would make a status report inaccurate.

·         With regard to a query about whether there were any trends, the  response was that there are likely to be closures and consolidation of pharmacy services.

·         With regard to the process to be followed, it was expected that there would be an application to NHS England if any changes were required to the service.  Then it would be a case of sending in what the provision is expected to look like afterwards. The job of the Health and Wellbeing Board is to say whether the proposals would create a gap in pharmaceutical services. This would also be open to challenge. The HWB would receive proposals as they came in and there is a tight timescale for a response so it would not be possible to do a full public consultation each time.

RESOLVED that the Health & Wellbeing Board

1)            Approved the plan to refresh the pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) for Portsmouth.

2)            Noted that a process to facilitate the HWB to consider pharmacy consolidation applications within the allotted 45 days is being developed.  Approval from the HWB on the proposed process will be sought.