The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7198 p673-678
18 May 2002

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London Assembly to examine primary care and local needs in the capital

Primary care services, including pharmacy, are to be subjected to a five-month investigation by the London Assembly.

Under the latest National Health Service reforms, London's primary care services are to be provided by 32 primary care trusts working under five different strategic health authorities. The assembly believes that this raises questions over the delivery of the NHS Plan and the effectiveness of the new structures in meeting local needs in the capital.

The investigation, to be conducted by a committee of eight assembly members (one of whom, Darren Johnson, is a former employee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society), will seek to find out whether there is equal access to good quality health care across London. It will look at levels of patient involvement and the provision of information (including the effect of language barriers and complaints procedures), the developing role of PCTs as primary care commissioners and the changing roles and responsibilities of practitioners.

London Assembly member Elizabeth Howlett, who chairs the committee, said: "I hope that this scrutiny will not only indicate where we are now and what needs to be done, but more importantly, give Londoners the opportunity to have a say in the service they receive and provide a platform for sharing best practice."

London community pharmacist Bob Rihal said that he and his colleagues would welcome the chance to work with the assembly to ensure that all primary care stakeholders see this as an opportunity to work with PCTs to reform the delivery of primary care.

"We need to take this as an opportunity to create primary care with a greater local focus and more patient and user involvement," he said.