Numark is the largest UK `virtual` chain of independent pharmacists with 2400 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Tony Mottram, managing director of Numark:
"Having read the White Paper yesterday my initial reaction was this sounds a lot like fund-holding with a few additional components. Whilst it sets out a clear strategy for the NHS, it assumes that in the timeframes available budget holders, namely GPs, have or will be able to develop the skills they need to manage these sizeable budgets whilst continuing to deliver a quality service to patients. Or perhaps we will see more roles for managers in the proposed GP consortiums? The GP budget holders have to engage and utilise the role of
pharmacy and reward them for their contribution to improving the patient journey by improving outcomes at a local level.
"Will the NHS be fixed by what falls out of this White Paper? My personal view is perhaps not... Patient demand continues to grow and these radical reforms are going to take some time to implement, in that chaos money will be spent in trying to get it right and inefficiencies will occur. The only way to make these reforms work is to have a broader church, which includes all providers of
health and social care in localities. Key to the success of any reforms is utilising the role of pharmacy and identifying the value it makes in the management of patients receiving medicines.
"Let`s see what`s in the detail, my feeling is these changes won`t resolve the issues of inefficiency that exist in the NHS without creating a great deal of confusion, debate and expense. My challenge to those bodies who lobby for pharmacy and their future, is to make things happen for all pharmacy contractors so they are not disadvantaged by GPs holding the purse strings. Make the landscape for independent pharmacy easier to ensure its sustainability and do not introduce change that merely over burdens the already demanding workload. Pharmacy - and in particular independent pharmacy - is in the frontline in the delivery of patient care, let`s ensure that these reforms recognise and reward them accordingly."
Source:
Numark
