Health Education England (HEE) wants to focus on improving pre-reg training, as there is “variation in terms of trainer, training satisfaction, and registration rates”, the organisation's head of pharmacy for London and the south-east told delegates of a pharmacy seminar in London yesterday (January 16).

Gail Fleming stressed the need to bring “quality into the programme, and quality during the programme”, and said HEE is “focusing on different tools to ensure the quality of that training”.

“Wherever you do your pre-reg, you should have a positive, well-structured and well-supervised experience,” Ms Fleming said.

Speaking to C+D after his session at the same Westminster Forum event, Nigel Ratcliffe, head of Keele University’s school of pharmacy, said it is “crucial” to focus on the quality of the pre-reg year, as it is an “absolutely vital part of the overall five-year training of the pharmacist”. See his full comments in the video below.

National framework for post-registration training

Ms Fleming also said HEE wants to focus on foundation training for new registrants, so they can work “in multiple teams and across sectors”.

This “needs to be a national framework, so it is transferable”, she stressed. “We are working in partnership with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the General Pharmaceutical Council and employers to take that forward,” she said.

HEE has been working closely with NHS England to use the Pharmacy Integration Fund to “invest in post-registration training for community pharmacists”, Ms Fleming added.

The organisation also has a “very small project” piloting how to support pharmacy technicians' post-registration development.

“We are very keen to think of the pharmacy workforce as a whole cross-sector workforce, rather than [take] a siloed approach,” she explained.

“A little bit more focus” needed

C+D deputy news editor Annabelle Collins spoke to Mr Ratcliffe after his session yesterday. Watch the full video for his views on how the pre-reg training year could be improved.