The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7160 p191-193
11 August 2001

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Primary care pharmacy

Guild representation

From Mr I. G. Simpson, FRPharmS

I am grateful to Sue Carter for drawing attention to the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (PJ, 4 August), and I would like to take the opportunity to clarify the benefits of membership of the guild for pharmacists employed by the NHS in both primary and secondary care. The guild is part of the union MSF, and I discussed the question of legal advice and representation with the MSF Legal Services Co-ordinator earlier this year. As a result, the following statement was published in the guild’s journal, ghp, in February 2001.¹

MSF will provide legal advice and representation to members in the following circumstances:

1. where their NHS employer is being sued as a result of the member’s alleged negligence in the course of their work;

2. where the member is the subject of disciplinary action by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as a result of alleged misconduct in connection with their employment;

3. where the member is the subject of a criminal prosecution arising directly from their work.

MSF Legal Services has also advised that guild members who are NHS employees do not need professional indemnity insurance cover for their NHS work. In the light of this, guild council repeated its previous view that the cover provided by the NHS Clinical Negligence Scheme² and guild membership, together satisfy the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Standards for professional indemnity,³ and that no further professional indemnity cover is required for NHS work.

I have recently reviewed this statement in the light of the Society’s revised standards⁴ and see no need to change it. My only additional advice would be that pharmacists should ask their employers to confirm in writing that they are covered by the NHS Clinical Negligence Scheme.

Pharmacists employed by the NHS in primary or secondary care interested in becoming members of the guild can contact the administrator Pauline Burke at MSF London Region, 40 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UD (tel 020 7939 7076; fax 020 7403 2964; e-mail burkep@msf.org.uk) for a membership application pack.

References

1. Simpson I. Professional indemnity. J Guild Healthcare Pharm. 2001;2:10.

2. NHS indemnity — arrangements for clinical negligence claims in the NHS. HSG(96)48. Leeds: NHS Executive; 1996.

3. Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Standards for professional indemnity. Medicines Ethics and practice No 24. London: The Society; 2000. p86.

4. Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Standards of professional performance. Medicines Ethics and practice No 25. London: The Society; 2001. p84.

Ian G. Simpson
Professional Secretary,
Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists

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