Around 33 pharmacies in the area will benefit from a share of the £100,000 funding set aside by the South Tyneside clinical commissioning group (CCG), an LPC spokesperson told C+D today (March 11).
Read more:Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
Contractors will be asked to spend the money on initiatives to support the wellbeing of their teams, which might include “practical steps, schemes or items to focus on staff safety, welfare and psychological wellbeing”, the LPC said in a statement yesterday.
However, the funding can also be used to create additional workforce capacity, such as freeing up members of staff so they can take some time off.
CCG’s allocation will support capacity
South Tyneside CCG “hopes that this allocation will in a small way support staff to maintain access and capacity in primary care”, according to the LPC.
Contractors will need to fill in a proforma invoice specifying how they will use the money, which they will receive as long as they meet a set of criteria – which will be communicated to pharmacies directly via the CCG.
Read more: Compare stress levels and pay rises in 2021 at Boots, Lloydspharmacy and Well
Jo Farey, associate director for primary care commissioning at the CCG, said: “Community pharmacy teams in South Tyneside are really forward thinking, inventive and always offering more and more support for our residents. They always go the extra mile and are simply a brilliant and invaluable part of our health and social infrastructure.”
South Tyneside LPC secretary Louise Lydon added that the CCG has valued the contribution of the sector for years, investing in services including Think Pharmacy First, GP2Pharmacy and a pharmacy-led housebound COVID-19 service.
“These services were trailblazing and over the years have been adopted by other parts of the region, as well as informing national service development,” Ms Lydon said.
“By including community pharmacy in primary care funding, they are again showing their commitment to community pharmacy and the impact on patient care of the local community,” she added.
Gateshead and South Tyneside LPC is hoping to influence other CCGs in the area to come up with a similar offer, the spokesperson told C+D.
The Pharmacists’ Defence Association flagged last month that there has been a “massive drop” in safe staffing levels in 2021 and working conditions in pharmacies have generally worsened.