The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for a review of pharmacy staffing levels, as part of the government's drive to improve patient safety.

The government's latest response to the Francis report, published on Tuesday (November 19), recognised that safety and staffing levels were "inextricably linked", the RPS said. This was the right time to review whether the existing guidance for staffing levels in the pharmacy contract still ensured patient safety, it said.

The RPS said it expected NHS England to re-examine staffing requirements in the pharmacy contract and to decide how transparency of staffing levels could be improved, in the wake of the report intothe failings of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

In order for contractors to receive their full practice payment under the current contract, dispensing staff must work a minimum number of hours that is proportionate to the number of items dispensed.

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	It was important for pharmacy leaders to publish data on their staffing levels in order to assure the public and staff about safety, the RPS said. The society also called on superintendent and chief pharmacists to respond to the government report by creating a "culture of patient safety".

"We will be looking to them to champion this movement across their organisations and we would like to help share this across the profession," it added.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) chief executive Duncan Rudkin said the regulator was committed to working closely with the government to take forward the relevant recommendations from the Francis report, including encouraging health professionals to be more honest with patients.

The GPhC had made it a priority to improve how it worked with other regulators to share information about issues that could affect patient safety and would report on progress in March, Mr Rudkin said.

In its response, the government addressed the 290 recommendations made in the Francis report in February. The government committed to quarterly reports of complaints data, a new criminal offence for wilful neglect and a national patient safety programme to spread best practice.