The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7307 p54
10 July 2004

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 100K, Acrobat Reader

· Pharmacy education
· St John's wort
· Dispensing
· Antimicrobial resistance
· The Conference
· NHS Confederation
· The profession
· The Society
· The Journal

Letters to the Editor

NHS Confederation

A missed opportunity for the profession

From Mrs M. M. Keyworth, FRPharmS

I recently attended the NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition held in Birmingham. The theme of the conference was “Real leadership” and was attended by an extensive list of key strategists and decision-makers from across the NHS both at local and national level. We were promised an exhibition to reflect the modern health service at which charities, service providers, professional bodies and NHS partner organisations would all be represented. I have attended these conferences for several years and have always made a point of visiting the stand which represents the profession of pharmacy and which has, in the past, usually included representatives from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education and the National Pharmaceutical Association. I was most disappointed that this year this stand was missing and I would suggest that this was a missed opportunity for these leading organisations to raise the awareness and profile of pharmacy at this prestigious event. Stands that were prominent included the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Nursing, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy as well as the General Medical Council and the Dental Practice Board.

However, I observed that the UK’s largest community pharmacy chain had provided a stand at which delegates were invited to understand how the chain was willing to work in partnership with primary care trusts to achieve targets and deliver improved health care. This generated a great deal of interest and provided a positive image of the role of pharmacy in the community.

I was also aware that delegates from the the NPA were present in the audience at some of the sessions.

Madeleine Keyworth
Brigg, North Lincolnshire

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (The Conference)
Next Topic (The profession)