Scottish pharmacists may work alongside GPs in 'health hubs'
The Scottish government is considering setting up multiprofessional health teams to relieve pressure on GPs, says health secretary Shona Robison
Pharmacists may work alongside GPs and nurses in "community health hubs" as part of an overhaul of primary care in Scotland, according to its health secretary.
The government wants to "change the way primary care is delivered" by creating local health teams to manage patients with acute problems, Shona Robison said at a public cabinet meeting in Oban on Monday (August 24). These teams could include pharmacists and nurses "utilising their skills to the full" to support GPs, Ms Robison said.
In response to a question from a GP about a potential workforce crisis for the profession, Ms Robison said the government has already implemented the "short-term solution" of committing £16 million to recruit prescribing pharmacists to work alongside them.
The government has also been discussing with GP organisations a "long-term solution" of creating health hubs, which will free up GPs to spend more time with patients suffering from complex conditions, such as dementia, she said.
The government wants to work with GPs to develop its new "vision" for primary care, ensuring patients are seen by the "most appropriate" healthcare professional, she added.
A Scottish government spokesperson confirmed to C+D that it is "exploring new models of care", which will include "developing community hub test sites".
NHS England announced last year that pharmacists will form expanded primary care practices with GPs in order to shift outpatient consultations out of hospitals and target patients with “complex ongoing needs”.
What else can pharmacists do to relieve pressure on GPs?
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