The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7255 p911
28 June 2003

Society summary

Scottish Department

• AGM demands that new Charter takes account of devolution in Scotland
• Maurice Hickey co-opted to serve on Scottish Executive
• Census finds high proportion of women pharmacists in Scotland

AGM demands that new Charter takes account of devolution in Scotland

The annual general meeting of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish Department has unanimously carried a motion calling for any new Charter for the Society to empower its Scottish Executive to make policy for Scottish pharmaceutical and health matters. The meeting took place in Edinburgh on 18 June.

Introducing the motion, the CHAIRMAN of the Scottish Executive, David Thomson, told the meeting that major implications for the membership in Scotland made it important to engage strongly in the debate on modernisation. He welcomed the motion because it offered a useful opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

The motion, proposed by MAURICE HICKEY (Moray and Banff branch) stated: "It is the opinion of the members of the Scottish Department that the new Charter of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain must take account of devolution, and in particular NHS Scotland. The Scottish members require that their elected Scottish Executive should be allowed the powers to make policy for Scottish pharmaceutical and health matters. The Scottish members require that these changes should be explicitly written into any new or amended Charter."

Mr Hickey described the published draft new Charter as "disappointing" for pharmacists in Scotland. Concern about it had been expressed at meetings the length and breadth of the country.

Mr Hickey said that the health administration in Scotland was developing in a clearly different way from the other constituent UK countries and this had to be acknowledged by the Society's Council in any new or amended Charter. "It has become clear that the Scottish Parliament is seeking Scottish solutions to Scottish problems, and so should we," he said.

The profession in Scotland should have a proactive Scottish Department that was able to negotiate positively and build a new and vibrant future, Mr Hickey said. To this end the motion sought to ensure that the Scottish Executive was empowered to develop policy in relation to devolved health matters. He wanted to see an explicit statement in the Charter guaranteeing the existence of a Scottish Department. The proposals in the draft charter were simply not strong enough.

Seconding the motion, FRANK OWENS (Stirling and Central Scotland branch) said that he wanted to see an exciting and rewarding future for all pharmacists living and practising in Scotland. The profession needed to respond quickly and positively to opportunities offered by NHS Scotland in a modern world. Health care delivery was developing differently across the UK. The Scottish Executive needed far greater autonomy to communicate effectively at all levels of health care debate, whether it was with patient groups, with members of the Health Committee at the Scottish Parliament or with officials at the Scottish Executive Health Department.

DOT ANDERSON (Edinburgh and Lothians branch) gave examples of local policy differences that were already happening: The Scottish White Paper, "Partnership for care", published in February, advocated the abolition of trusts and the creation of single system working.

Mrs Anderson said that in her own health board area plans were being drawn up to agree a "statute of delegation" that would underpin the new roles, responsibilities and accountabilities adopted by all health professionals as they redesigned patient care around the patients. "I anticipate that there will be implications for professional pharmacy standards as changes in practice are agreed and implemented," Mrs Anderson said.

The motion was then carried.

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Maurice Hickey co-opted to serve on Scottish Executive

Maurice Hickey, a community pharmacy contractor in Forres, Morayshire, has been co-opted to fill a vacancy on the Scottish Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

The vacancy has arisen from the election of executive member Noel Wicks to serve on the Society's Council, in which position he automatically becomes an ex-officio member of the executive.

The executive made its co-option decision at a meeting on 18 June after the result of this year's executive election had been declared at the Scottish Department annual general meeting earlier in the day. Mr Hickey was one of two unsuccessful candidates in the election, which saw the return of all six retiring members — Dot Anderson, George Downie, David Forbes, Dr Steven Kayne, Fiona McMillan and Alison Strath (see Official Notice, p912). Mr Hickey was also an unsuccessful candidate in the Council election.

Also at its 18 June meeting, the executive re-elected David Thomson as chairman and Angela Timoney as vice-chairman.

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Census finds high proportion of women pharmacists in Scotland

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's recent workforce census shows that women make up a higher proportion of pharmacists in Scotland than in the rest of the United Kingdom, the annual general meeting of the Society's Scottish Department was told. The census found that about 62 per cent of pharmacists in Scotland are women, compared with 52 per cent in the UK generally.

Presenting some of the findings from the census, Dr Karen Hassell, senior research fellow and NHS primary care scientist at the School of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, said that there were few significant differences between the home countries. One other difference was a higher proportion of pharmacists in the under-30 age group in Scotland. A slightly higher proportion of respondents in Scotland said that they worked 49 hours or more per week.

Dr Hassell said that by determining the characteristics of the current workforce and employment patterns the census would have implications for future pharmacy practice.