For good pharmacy teams, satisfaction means more than delivering quality care. It’s about taking the time and effort to truly go the extra mile to support patients – and in this respect, the team at Sheffield-based Wicker Pharmacy has clocked up a lot of mileage over the years.
The team is committed to putting patients at the heart of everything they do, says Martin Bennett, managing director and chairman of Associated Chemists (Wicker). “It’s our number one priority. We need to treat all our patients as if they were our relations,” he says.
This approach has resulted in consistently high customer satisfaction scores, with 99% of respondents to a 2014-15 survey rating Wicker as good, very good, or excellent. It has also defined the pharmacy as a go-to destination for carers; Wicker receives some 2,000 calls a year from this patient group alone.
Examples of staff going the extra distance for their patients include providing first aid to a man who had suffered a stroke in the pharmacy and caring for his dog overnight. On another occasion, they kept the business open despite heavy floods.
The team takes great pride in being a vital resource for people who have less common conditions – offering several unusual services such as domiciliary MURs and palliative care treatments. It also delivers innovative pilot projects involving summary care records access and an NHS-funded emergency supply service.
Ethos of excellence
Wicker Pharmacy’s ethos – that nothing is too much trouble for their customers – has helped to earn the business the ‘excellent’ rating from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) – the first to receive the highest rating since the GPhC began its new inspections regime in November 2013. The 2015 C+D award for Pharmacy Team of the Year added further to its accolades.
Their ethos is embedded in the company’s history – it began in January 1952, when 45 independent pharmacists in Sheffield opened the first consortium-owned pharmacy in the UK.
“These pharmacists got together to fund central premises that would stay open late, and be open every day of the year,” says Mr Bennett.
Other pharmacists in Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds and Stockport followed Wicker’s example and attempted the same model, “but all of them faded away”, Mr Bennett remembers.
“Some 80% of pharmacists used to be owned by individuals, but now most are owned by multiples. Part of this change is due to the redevelopment of city centres. But we’re still here, and we’re still open until 10pm every night, every day of the year,” he says.
While the company’s original premise stands true, its Sheffield premises have expanded to accommodate a 70-strong team. Almost half of the business is owned by the team, which has created a strong sense of employee engagement and “a can-do attitude to most things – if somebody suggests something we say ‘let’s try’”, says Mr Bennett.
Outstanding commitment
A prime example of this forward-thinking attitude can be seen when visitors to Sheffield require emergency supplies of medication. With their permission, Wicker can access their summary care record to ensure they receive the necessary treatment.
Over the years, the team has amassed many standout moments that highlight outstanding commitment to patient care. Wicker’s dedication was never more evident than when Sheffield was hit by flooding in 2007. “The whole of our premises was flooded and the team had to be rescued by boat. Some of the staff stayed at my house that night,” explains Mr Bennett.
“Then at 6am the next day we were back at the pharmacy and managed to get part of the premises open by 9am, using generators – and we remained open for business,” he recalls.
Another ‘above and beyond’ moment for Wicker was when a young man collapsed in the pharmacy from a stroke. Staff gave first aid and called an ambulance. But after he was taken to hospital, staff realised that his dog had been left outside the pharmacy. “One of the team took the dog home with her and cared for it overnight until arrangements could be made,” says Mr Bennett.
Part of the family
One of the reasons staff feel inspired to make such an effort for Wicker Pharmacy and its patients is because the organisation inspires loyalty, Mr Bennett believes. Working for the pharmacy is like being part of a family – often literally. “Lots of people have relatives working here. In many cases, we have three generations at the firm, with grandparents and their grandchildren working for Wicker,” says Mr Bennett.
Staff retention is certainly inspired by Wicker’s encouragement to take advantage of training opportunities, and the sheer variety of work to tackle also makes for high employee job satisfaction. “With 50,000 incoming calls here a year – including those from patients asking for advice – there’s always something happening. You never get bored here,” says Mr Bennett.
All these elements have made for an excellent team and one deserving of a C+D award, he believes. “We wanted the team to gain confidence from the fact that others would recognise their excellence, and it was the team who came up with a good awards entry.”
Rather than focusing on one particular area of achievement, the entry highlighted “how we do lots of special things all the time”, says Mr Bennett.
Constant innovation
Receiving the C+D Pharmacy Team of the Year award has been great for staff because they have recognition – and it’s something they can tell their friends. The pharmacy will continue to build up its team by encouraging them to think outside the box, Mr Bennett says.
“Our team are accustomed to constant innovation. Rather than saying, ‘this is the way we’ve always done it’, we’re always saying, ‘let’s try something new’.”
The pharmacy continues to adhere to the ethos that has shaped the company for more than 60 years – that nothing is too much if it helps others. The team’s efforts are often rewarded by positive feedback from patients and their families, some of whom take time to write to the pharmacy and show their appreciation, explains Mr Bennett.
“The daughter of one of our patients wrote to us after her mother had died to say how ‘we treated everybody with the same gentle understanding and care... which was very special to witness’. We all appreciated that letter.”