The development of closer links between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council and Welsh Executive was welcomed by the chairman of the Welsh Executive (Mr Colin Ranshaw) on July 18 at the executive's 24th annual general meeting for members of the Society resident in Wales.
Presenting the executive's annual report for 1999, Mr Ranshaw said that, to promote effective communication, the chairmen of the Welsh and Scottish Executives attended meetings of the Council. Initially, their attendance had been on the understanding that they could be called upon to contribute on matters affecting pharmacy in Wales or Scotland. But the Council had recently confirmed that they could participate in any discussions and could take the place at the Council table of any Council member who was absent.
In addition, the Welsh Executive secretary (Mrs Erica Barrie) - whose post had recently been made a full-time one - attended Council and committee meetings and meetings of the Society's senior staff, while Council members who were ex officio members of the executive ensured that at least one of their number attended each executive meeting.
The Council had also recently agreed that newly elected Council members would be offered the opportunity to attend a Welsh Executive meeting as part of the induction programme. Likewise, newly elected executive members would be invited to observe a Council meeting. These links would help ensure that the Council was kept in touch with the executive's views and that the executive's activities were targeted towards implementing Council policy in Wales.
Clearly this had to be relevant to the priorities for health and social care agreed by the National Assembly for Wales. Following the transfer of power to the assembly on July 1, 1999, the executive had had input to the assembly's strategies for primary care, for promoting sexual health, for promoting health and well-being, for adult mental health services and for child and adolescent mental health services. The executive had also submitted a report to the assembly's task and finish group on prescribing, which would have major implications for pharmacy in Wales.
To facilitate the implementation of its public affairs activities, the executive had towards the end of 1999 established a public affairs working group. Its role included working with the Welsh Assembly and responding to forward programmes of its Health and Social Service Committee. Other activities included public relations, liaison with other organisations and the planning of dinners and receptions.
In this way, the executive had continued to respond to the external environment and the opportunities afforded to pharmacy in Wales through devolution. It could only do so with continued support from the Council and staff at Lambeth. The executive recognised and valued the commitment that this involved - a commitment that was necessary if the Society was to have relevance to the practice of pharmacy in Wales.