A senior GP commissioning leader has urged the NHS Commissioning Board to consult local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on England's pharmacy contract.

Failure to do so could cause complications to the commissioning process and prevent community pharmacy from meeting local health needs when the board takes over pharmacy contract negotiations from the Department of Health in April, said Johnny Marshall, interim partnership development director for NHS Clinical Commissioners – a membership organisation for CCGs.

If the board makes national decisions with the sector's negotiating committee PSNC that are not "joined up with the local commissioning voice" of CCGs, then commissioners may find they "don't have the flexibility at a local level to untap the benefits of doing things differently and engaging pharmacists", Dr Marshall explained in an exclusive interview with C+D.

National commissioning decisions must be "joined up" with local ones to allow flexibility, Dr Marshall said	More on commissioning Map of authorised CCGs GPs back calls to boost NHS 111 referrals to pharmacy NHS reforms explained: Clinical senates and LPNs
	"As a GP, knowing that we have a relationship with a principal pharmacist and seeing where there's potential to support each other... I think that's really important," Dr Marshall told C+D.

Dr Marshall said that the contract should not stop commissioners from finding the right solutions for their area, but it could cause a slight complication to the commissioning process.

"We've got to get the CCGs and the NHS Commissioning Board joined up, so it feels like it's a single commissioning act... rather than the contract driving things in isolation of the other commissioners," he told C+D.

As well as taking over pharmacy contract negotiations with PSNC in April, the NHS Commissioning Board will take on responsibility for commissioning some services at a national level, while other services, including minor ailment and vaccination schemes could be commissioned locally by CCGs and health and wellbeing boards.

Dr Marshall, who was last week made a director of the NHS Confederation – an organisation that represents commissioners – made the comments a day before the third wave of CCGs was authorised, bringing the total number of CCGs authorised to 163.

The final wave of CCGs is set to be authorised in March, before they take over responsibility for local commissioning in April.

Dr Marshall is one of the many high-profile speakers with whom you can debate the implications of the NHS reforms at the C+D Summit on April 11. Book your place today.