Presentation of honorary fellowship certificate to the Princess Royal

Presenting a certificate of honorary fellowship of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to the Princess Royal, the Society’s President (Mrs Christine Glover) said that she spoke for all the members of the Society’s Council and its Scottish Executive when she said that they were very pleased that the princess had agreed to accept election as an honorary fellow of the Society.

Explaining the history of honorary membership and fellowship of the Society, the President said that the Society had been incorporated by a Royal Charter granted by Queen Victoria on February 18, 1843. The charter gave the Society the right to elect as honorary members person who had made substantial contributions to the cause and advancement of pharmacy and of the Society. In 1953, 120 years after its first charter of incorporation, the Society had been given a supplemental charter by Queen Elizabeth II, which gave it power to elect honorary fellows in addition to honorary members. The Byelaws of the Society made it clear that honorary fellowship was to be granted at the discretion of the Council to persons who had distinguished themselves in any branches of knowledge embraced in the educational objects of the Society or to persons who were eminent in the national life. This was the highest honour that the Society can award to a person who is not a member.

The certificate of honorary fellowship was presented to the Princess Royal by the Society’s President (Christine Glover), accompanied by Alison Strath (chairman of the Society’s Scottish Executive)

Only 16

In the 48 years since the Council had been granted the right to elect honorary fellows only 15 had previously been elected. The first was in 1955 and the first person to be so elected was the Duke of Edinburgh.

The President said: “Your Royal Highness, the Council recognises the enormous contribution which you have made to public life and the public health, not only in this country but also overseas through your work with the Save the Children Fund. Alison Strath has already mentioned the vital network provided by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers centres [see p48]. We also appreciate the interest you have taken in pharmacy education through your role as Chancellor of the University of London and your support for the role of pharmacists, expressed publicly on your first visit to our headquarters in Lambeth at a dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Health Service in 1998. That support was appreciated by many thousands of pharmacists across the nation who read it in the press or heard of it through our local roadshows.”

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Partnership between the Society and the Princess Royal Trust

Accepting the honour of honorary fellowship of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Princess Royal praised the partnership between the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland that was being celebrated by the dinner. Pharmacists were the friendly faces that carers needed to help them cope, she said.

Expressing gratitude to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for its ongoing support, she said that she was delighted with the progress being made by the trust in opening nearly a hundred carers’ centres throughout Britain. However, more needed to be done.

She mentioned a group of people whom she called hidden carers. These were people who worked away on their own without making their problems known and without seeking help. Pharmacists were well placed to assist with identifying carers who fell into that group.

Describing the relationship between pharmacists and general medical practitioners as “interesting”, the Princess Royal said that both professions were in the front line of health care delivery and that their co- operation was important to find the hidden carers and ensure that support was made available before the carers’ own health suffered. Young children who were taking responsibility for looking after family members were particularly at risk.

Currently most carers picked up information through experience; it was not the sort of role that most people could prepare themselves for, she went on. Despite this they generally coped well. Hopefully the carers’ centres would be able to give help in various aspects of caring to supplement this acquired knowledge.

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Pharmacy: at the heart of the community

Welcoming guests to the sesquicentenary dinner, Ms Alison Strath (chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Scottish Executive) said that pharmacy was at the heart of the local community structure in Scotland and assisted the walking wounded and the worried well, as well as the most vulnerable, on a daily basis.

Nearly 600,000 people visited Scottish community pharmacies daily, more than any other health professional. Many of the most regular visitors were carers, some of whom were elderly and suffered from illness themselves. This gave opportunities for interaction and support.

Giving some examples of services currently provided by community pharmacies to help patients and their carers, Ms Strath said that these included

providing advice on complicated dose regimes of dispensed medicines and possible side effects
providing charts and other aids to facilitate compliance
counselling on the use of ostomy and other surgical appliances
making domiciliary visits
giving support following discharge from hospital
assisting in the distribution of medicines by collection of prescription forms and the delivery of medicines
treating minor illnesses.

Alison Strath speaks as the Princess Royal listens

The chairman reminded guests that Scotland had a proud history of discovering new medicines and pioneering new services in pharmacy. The innovative pharmaceutical care packages being provided to older people, palliative care patients and patients with mental illness were maintaining this tradition (PJ, November 13, 1999, p770). The practice of pharmacy had always been about service to the public, and the profession would continue to work in local communities, in hospitals and in the wider spheres of research and education to provide the highest standards of pharmaceutical care.
Ms Strath said that she recognised the crucial role being played by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers in supporting carers from all walks of life and that she looked forward to working with the trust for the benefit of patients and those who cared for them.

The Princess Royal is introduced to Mr Don Meekison (a retired community pharmacist who has been involved with supporting carers). Also in the picture are Christine Glover, George Allan (community pharmacist) (behind the Princess Royal), Ann Lewis (the Society’s Secretary and Registrar) and Keith Kendall (Moss Pharmacy)

Trevor Jones (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry), Joyce Kearney (Munro Wholesale Medical Supplies), David Thomson Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS trust), Terry Norris (Numark) and Andrew Cubie (Fyfe Ireland WS)

The dinner was held in the Throne Room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Minister acknowledges pharmacy role

The Scottish Minister for Health (Ms Susan Deacon) acknowledged the important role played by pharmacists in local communities throughout Scotland.

She said that she was impressed by the enthusiasm and support the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland had displayed in helping shape the plan for the Scottish NHS.

The Minister acknowledged that pharmacists were doing their part to assist in improving the patient’s journey through the National Health Service and said that she looked forward to a continuing dialogue to ensure that health care delivery in Scotland was focused on patients and their carers.

Turning to the work of carers, Ms Deacon said that they held the complex web of health and social care together.

“Carers help create a society where selflessness and concern for others come first,” she said. “Every day carers help the most vulnerable children and adults to lead full and independent lives, to realise their true potential and to play their part in a society that focuses on their abilities and not their disability or illness.”

Ms Deacon emphasised the importance of ensuring that carers were properly supported. Unfortunately, carers did not always make their requirements known, she said. It was necessary to be fully aware of their needs and to act accordingly. She was proud that the Scottish Executive and the Government were both committed to providing support over a wide range of issues from health and social care services to benefits, pensions and carer-friendly employment policies. It was a challenge to ensure that these objectives were translated into activity.

The Minister pledged increased funding to ensure that the lives of many carers were improved.

Susan Deacon, flanked on her right by by Bill Scott (chief pharmacist for Scotland) and on her left by Andrew Robertson (Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS trust) and Christine Glover

The Princess Royal in conversation with Susan Deacon, Malcolm Chisholm (deputy minister for health) and Graeme Millar (a member of the Society’s Scottish Executive) (right to left)

The Princess Royal is introduced to Trevor Jones (director general, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) (left) and Mr David Thomson (Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS trust)

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers

In 1991 Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal launched The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in recognition of the contribution made by carers throughout Britain and their need for support. Charities involved with those who were cared for had said that the people behind the wheelchair had little dedicated support and practical help.

The trust defines a carer is a person who, without payment, provides help and support to a person who could not manage without assistance due to age, sickness or infirmity. It says that becoming a carer is frequently not a conscious decision - it may be thrust upon someone by a sudden change in circumstances. Sudden illness of a loved one, a serious accident resulting in disability or mental impairment can create a carer overnight. There are an estimated 6m carers in the United Kingdom of whom about 600,000 reside in Scotland. Almost half spend between 20 and 50 hours a week on caring duties and most are under 65 year old. Many feel isolated as they lose contact with friends, family and former colleagues because virtually all their time is spent looking after somebody at home. Many do not enjoy good health themselves.

The Princess Royal Care Centres are the main way in which the trust supports carers. The trust aims to ensure that no carer has to reach crisis point before they receive the support necessary to make it easier to cope. Carers’ centres are managed by a local voluntary organisation and provide a range of one-stop support services including

Providing grants to improve carers’ lives

Acting as a respite access point

Creating social and recreational events

Providing counselling support and therapy

When the trust was established the aim was to have at least one carers’ centre funded in partnership with statutory bodies within all 32 authority areas in Scotland. There are now 22 centres in Scotland (88 throughout the UK) all managed by local voluntary organisations and several are at the final planning stage. One of the successes of the trust to date has been its ability to unlock £2 from statutory bodies for every £1 committed by the trust itself. The trust’s income was £2m in 1999. Almost half of all the donations received came from the corporate sector. Website, www.carers.org

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The Society

Society’s sesquicentenary in Scotland