First NMS figures show slow uptake

Hardly surprising given the combination of a crazy payment structure and the fact that most pharmacies are already working to capacity with the essential dispensing service with no spare resources to devote to the NMS.

So looking at your data it means that of all the NMS completed, 43% were done free of charge.

I know it's early days as yet, but if that figure remains, then the service will be unsustainable.

I know we have to find efficiency savings across the NHS, but 43% is ridiculous!

I've seen the data for a chain, and in December they did 23% of their NMS for free too. I know that they are "switched on" and were managing the NMS very carefully, so that figure is frightening too!

PSNC need to keep an eye on this data, and act decisively before pharmacists lose heart in this service.

I have stopped doing the NMS until the farce over payments is sorted. No point stressing and wasting time to guess what, if any, payment will be made. I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Hi
I did not claim for October, as by the time I was properly organised to do them and you need 3 weeks from start to finish, then I completed my first follow up NMS on 1st November, which was claimed in November.
I'm sure that many others took a little time to get going and claims for November will be much higher.

The NMS Service is a brilliant service but the payment structure is absolutely dreadful. PSNC and the NHS Employers need to get this sorted out soon otherwise it will be a pointless service.

Explain to me which profession in the NHS works for Nothing - Pharmacists do - as we have very POOR Negotiators. PSNC please show us that you are really working for the contractors as it seems like it is lose for the contractors but a win for the NHS Employers - this is not sustainable. PSNC do something about the NMS Payment structure.

I did the same! I couldn't claim for any in October as there was not enough time to complete the whole process. I imagine the figures for November will be much higher...

Payment for unpaid NMS completions need to be made retrospectively. I was at an early NMS workshop with Numark and PSNC and many of us attending explained exactly what would happen with the proposed fee structure and were told by the PSNC that a lot of work had gone into the remuneration and that it would work. It is plain and clear for all to see that it is a complete failure. We should not have to read in the press how pharmacy has been slow on the uptake of this service when our negotiators have made such a mess of valuing it. Put it right NOW!! and pay every contractor for every NMS completed to date. The PSNC should hang their heads in shame for this debacle. How many more things can they get wrong on our behalf?

Thanks everyone for all your comments, much appreciated. Harnek, would you like to email me at melanie.hall@ubm.com to tell me a bit more about that NMS workshop, and who it was that was leading the workshop? Thanks!

Actually according to the data, 43% were PAID which means that 57% WERE DONE FOR FREE!!!
Or put another way, the DH saved £143,000 by getting pharmacists to provide NMS for free!!!
It gets worse... Pharmacy contractors in 15 PCTs claimed for 334 NMS episodes and got paid for NONE of them!! (Worst off were those in Sunderland Teaching PCT who claimed for 60 NMS). I would suggest that the LPCs look at these figures and help their contractors get to grips with this.
From past experiences with PSNC, I'm not holding my breath for them to come up with a solution any time soon

Harnek, I was at the discussion about pharmacy in one of the conference rooms on a Sunday at the Pharmacy Show last year - Sue Sharpe and Alistair Buxton were there. I mentioned my concerns about GPs and someone mentioned about the payment structure. I think (so don't quote me) I heard Sue Sharpe saying the payment bands were introduced to encourage pharmacists to aim to do as much NMSs as they could.

At the moment, none of our pharmacies will do NMSs until the payment structure is sorted out, and sorted out fast. We will stick to MURs for the time being.