|
Concordance
The Profession
Remuneration
Consultants
Modernisation
Workforce census
SOPs
Specials
The Society
Letters to the Editor
|
Consultants
Generic job functions already in existence
From Mr P. J. Maltby, MRPharmS, and Dr B. L. Ellis, MRPharmS
We note the proposals (PDF 45K) by Hebron et
al (PJ, 30 August, p261) and the ensuing
correspondence from Webb et al (PJ, 27 September, p404) for creating
the role of a consultant clinical pharmacist from the functions described
in HSC 1999/217, and fully support them.
We would like to make pharmacists aware that the UK Radiopharmacy Group
has proposed a generic series of job functions for consultant radiopharmacists
(or radiopharmaceutical scientists) that closely correspond to the existing
consultant clinical scientist grade C post. The latter’s role has
already been defined in the job evaluation profile section of “Agenda
for change” published by the Department of Health, with the level
of responsibility and expertise being recognised as being equal to that
of a medical consultant.
The proposed consultant radiopharmacist or radiopharmaceutical scientist
post has the support of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists because hospital
pharmacists and hospital clinical health care scientists are being seen
in the same light by the DoH for human resource planning in the future.
The DoH has further recognised that radiopharmacy is a function of the
health care scientist workforce in the NHS, by including it in the development
of a national occupational standards exercise currently being undertaken
nationwide. These standards will, in the next few months be linked to
competencies, and thus ultimately ensure that the skill mix and qualifications
of staff are correct for each defined job function.
We would therefore urge our fellow senior technical specialist pharmacists,
especially those in “early implementer” sites to work closely
with their GHP representatives and consider wording their job evaluation
profiles in conjunction with their local “matching panels” to
suit the term “consultant”.
It would be iniquitous for technical pharmacists not to be recognised
as “consultants” in their own right when clinical pharmacists
in the hospital setting and in the primary care setting (eg, Boots) already
are.
Paul Maltby
Principal Radiopharmacist
Radiopharmacy Department,
Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Beverley Ellis
Department of Nuclear Medicine,
Manchester Royal Infirmary
|
* PDF files on PJ Online require Acrobat
Reader 4 or later.