RPS helping to plan primary care framework for the future

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has set out five tests for the future of primary care networks, which it believes will lead to better person-centred care and greater joined-up working across healthcare. Those five tests are:

1. Patient and public involvement Patient and public involvement
– All care provided must be person-centred.
– Engage early with patients, carers and the public to co-design primary care services.
– Take a community ‘asset’-based approach, to mobilise skills and knowledge to improve health
and wellbeing.
– Increased role for third sector organisations and greater recognition of the role communities
can play.

2. Leadership drawn from all of primary care Leadership drawn from all of primary care
– Primary care means all of the services that provide a front door to the NHS – whether it is
general practices and their staff, pharmacists working in the community, in GP practices, in
care
homes and in urgent care, or services such as dentists and opticians.
– Consider the whole of the workforce across primary care when developing systems and
services.
– Primary care leaders should encourage collaboration across and within professions in different
care settings.
– Work with training hubs to enable equity of access for the whole primary care workforce to
education and training for current and future roles.

3. The value of medicines is recognised The value of medicines is recognised
– Primary care plans should link into the NHS England Medicines Value programme to ensure
that every individual patient and the NHS as a whole get the most benefit from medicines.
– Ensure local system leadership includes medicines optimisation advocates.
– Primary care plans should include how they will meet the WHO Global Patient Safety
Challenge to reduce severe avoidable harm from medicines.
– Pharmacovigilance should drive quality improvement and patient safety.

4. Interoperability of data Interoperability of data
– The interoperability of data is central to progress and there needs to be adequate
interoperability to enable information flows between all primary care professionals, and with
the wider health and social care systems.
– Support workforce digital literacy to deliver data-driven care for the benefit of patients.
– Develop clinical standards to support information transfers.

5. A greater focus on prevention
They are keen to highlight the future challenge of supporting a system-wide approach to medicines optimisation, and is calling for community pharmacists to play a role in primary care leadership and for medicines optimisation advocates to be involved in local leadership.

Chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, Sandra Gidley, said: “Whether it is primary care networks or sustainability and transformation partnerships, as local health leaders start working more closely together it will be crucial to make the most of the clinical knowledge of pharmacists to support patient safety and develop a system-wide approach to medicines optimisation.”