Protocol approved for relationships between the Society's national pharmacy boards and the Council
A protocol has been agreed to govern the relationship between the Society's devolved pharmacy boards for England, Scotland and Wales and their relationship with the Council.
The protocol, approved at the December
Council meeting, is a high-level
statement of intent about the way in which the boards and the Council
should work together. It is designed to ensure that the Society responds
effectively to the challenges and opportunities posed by devolution,
with care being taken to maintain lines of accountability and recognise
the rights and responsibilities that come from devolution. The aim of
the protocol is to ensure that the Council and its national pharmacy
boards work in a mutually supportive manner, with good communication
and early involvement of all appropriate groups, building on existing
working relationships with the Scottish and Welsh Executives and the
Society’s staff in Scotland and Wales.
The protocol calls on the Council and the national pharmacy boards to
inform each other through their respective secretariats at the earliest
opportunity of any matter arising which is likely to be of mutual interest.
Each would seek the views of the others on any such matter and would
take their views into account in any decisions made.
If a national pharmacy board needs to respond to a consultation relating
to a matter on which a Society policy has not been established, and there
is no time for the Council to determine a Society policy, then the policy
agreed by the board will be adopted as the Society’s interim policy
until the Council is able to review it. When the issues involved affect
only one country, the national board may make new policy, which must
be informed by any extant Council policy with a bearing on the issue.
The Council reserves the right to amend or revoke such a policy after
consulting the relevant national pharmacy board and considering the implications
for pharmacy within that particular country.
The protocol says that, if work appropriate for a national board has
implications for more than one country, it may need to take account of
other countries’ policies, legislation and practice work. In such
cases it will be necessary to agree a process for identifying and handling
the issues, and a liaison group will agree the methodology for dealing
with and signing off the work.
The protocol also requires the Council and the national boards to work
closely together to ensure that the pharmacy profession is represented
within the context of the public benefit and in an effective and professional
manner at all levels of Government.
They will also consult each other on all issues relating to the boards’ agreed
functions that impact on GB-wide interests. A board dealing with an external
body should be aware of any potential impact on relations between external
bodies and other parts of the Society or with the Society as a whole
and should consult as appropriate.
The protocol says that the Secretary and Registrar and other directors
of the Society will maintain effective liaison arrangements and consultation
procedures with the directors of the national pharmacy boards. The directors
of the national boards will advise and support their boards in discharging
their functions and will also provide advice to the Council as appropriate.
On the operation of the protocol, it was agreed that where full adherence
is impractical the boards and the Council will act as closely as possible
in line with the spirit of the protocol and will seek to rectify any
shortfall at the earliest opportunity. Steps will be taken to ensure
that such exceptions are kept to a minimum. Each board chairman will
make an annual report to the Council. Minutes of each board meeting will
be circulated to the Council and to the other boards. Any problem that
a board cannot resolve informally will be taken to the Council for resolution.
On finance, the protocol says that the national boards must inform the
Resource Management Committee promptly about proposed policy initiatives
or changes that may have an impact on the Society’s finances. If
any additional costs would arise directly from a policy change, the Council
would make a final decision after considering the views of the relevant
national pharmacy board or boards.
Approving the protocol, the Council also agreed that it should be reviewed
near the end of the first term of office of the boards, ie, after two
to three years.
It was noted that, the protocol having been agreed, the office would
develop guidance on governance and ways of working for the boards.
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