15% of CCGs spend winter fund on pharmacy
CCGs have decided how the £700m NHS winter funding will be spent and at least 31 of them have directed some of it towards a pharmacy scheme
At least 15 per cent (31) of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have used some of the £700 million NHS winter funding to commission additional pharmacy services in hospitals or the community, C+D has learned.
Twenty CCGs out of 211 in England directed a portion of their funding to help deal with winter health problems towards community pharmacy in initiatives such as self-care and urgent supply schemes, revealed NHS data published on Tuesday (January 6). They included Vale of York, Scarborough and Ryedale, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Havering, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham.
Nine others CCGs were listed as having given a portion of their funding to a pharmacy scheme, but it was not clear whether it was specifically community pharmacy. This included a 'pharmacy on wheels' scheme supported by South Manchester and Trafford CCGs. Two CCGs allocated a portion of their funds to hospital pharmacies.
The £700 m in national funding is intended to help the NHS cope with health problems that arise during cold weather, such as an increase in A&E attendance and flu. The NHS data gave examples of how this funding had been used and the list was not exhaustive - meaning there are potentially more CCGs that have funded community pharmacy schemes.
A spokesperson for the CCGs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, which have dedicated a portion of their allocated funding towards a community pharmacy self-care service, said they had worked with the North-East London LPC on a scheme to educate the public on how they could better manage minor ailments by visiting a community pharmacist this winter.
“It is too early to assess the detailed level of impact the campaign has had but it should certainly have lessened the load on local A&E units, which are of course under pressure across the whole country,” they said.
Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge CCGs have worked with their local LPC and employed extra pharmaists who will visit patients with the most complex health needs to make sure they have the right medicines.
“After the first meeting with a patient, the pharmacists will check back after 30 and 90 days and will update the patient’s GP and usual pharmacist of any issues," a spokesperson said. “This is a new scheme that has proved popular with patients and we will evaluate its success after winter."
Doncaster CCG is not listed as directing its funding towards pharmacy but Doncaster LPC chief executive Nick Hunter said community pharmacies had received NHS funding for minor ailments and asthma services. He said he would be "very surprised" if this had not come from the winter fund, as conditions such as asthma are worse in the winter.
Mr Hunter told C+D the organisation had a “very good relationship” with Doncaster CCG and had worked with them to develop new health pilots, such as a service to improve inhaler technique. He added that other areas should “definitely” direct some of the winter funding into community pharmacy.
How could pharmacies support the emergency services during the winter crisis?
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