Society briefing for general election
A pharmacy election briefing sent by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to candidates in the 5 May general election calls for developments in policy and infrastructure to ensure that pharmacy can make a full contribution to health care.
It calls on the next government to put pharmacy at the heart of health
policy, to invest in pharmacy education and training and to build the
pharmacy workforce.
The four-page briefing was sent out on 5 April, as the Prime Minister
announced the date of the general election. It went direct to all MPs
and to prospective Parliamentary candidates in the 100 most marginal
seats in England, Scotland and Wales. A Welsh language version is to
be sent to all Welsh MPs and candidates. The briefing has also gone to
the Society’s branches as part of a lobbying toolkit, along with
materials to help them promote the Society’s messages.
The briefing calls on the next government to harness pharmacists’ potential
to deliver real health improvement and to encourage local policy makers
and commissioners to make full use of pharmacists to the benefit of patients.
It also sets out how pharmacists’ education and training need to
develop to underpin the new roles and responsibilities being taken on
by pharmacists. It says that the next government must invest in the infrastructure
and teaching capacity needed to ensure that the coming generations of
pharmacists have the knowledge and skills they need.
On workforce planning, the briefing explains how the profession is working
to support a more strategic approach to building workforce capacity.
It calls on the future government to build on this progress and ensure
that future human resource strategy is informed by high quality modelling
of workforce requirements.
Michele Savage, who has been managing the Society’s project on
devolution, has temporarily taken on the role of promoting the briefing
in the run-up to the general election. She will talk to candidates about
the Society’s work and the issues in the briefing.
Ms Savage will also provide support for branches that wish to get involved
with talking to their own Parliamentary candidates. Materials have been
provided to help branches invite candidates to visit a local pharmacy
to get an update and also to have a health check.
Beverley Parkin, the Society’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications,
said: “The general election period brings the profession a great
opportunity to be heard on important issues that will directly affect
the health of all three countries of Britain.
“Our branches are the profession’s local voice and, over the coming
weeks, they can make a real impact with the new generation of MPs. This
will make a solid contribution to the profession’s profile right
across the new Parliament.”
The briefing is available to download from the Parliamentary page in
the news section of the Society’s
website. Copies can also be obtained from Carole Mitchell, Public Affairs
and
Communications Directorate, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 1 Lambeth High
Street, London SE1 7JN (tel 020 7572 2338; e-mail carole.mitchell@rpsgb.org).
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