The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7384 p73
21 January 2006

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· Vitamin D and Cancer
· Animals in testing
· Out-of-hours services
· Medicines use reviews
· Prescribing
· NEL LPC
· Pharmacy workforce
· Overseas pharmacists
· Statutory Committee

Letters to the Editor

NEL LPC

Where is the promised update?

From Mr A. J. Burr, MRPharmS

In September 2005 the North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee website reported that the LPC and the strategic health authority met to discuss the Bates report of an inquiry into the conduct of the LPC. We were told that the LPC expressed its concerns regarding the report and that both parties agreed that action had to be taken quickly to clear the air. Moreover we were promised an update regarding the meeting and action to be taken in the near future.

The LPC asked all parties to read both the Bates report and the executive summary and the LPC’s own responses to them so that a fair and balanced view could be arrived. Having read all the papers in the public domain, a number of Society members wrote to The Journal expressing various views on the findings. Clearly the LPC sought to stress that commentators should wait before reaching conclusions until further communication were issued.

Given the apparent lack of communication, one might believe that the matter has simply gone away. On the contrary, one only needs to read the public minutes of the Newham Primary Care Trust board meeting on 14 October 2005 (www.newhampct.nhs.uk/ docs/board/051014.pdf) to see that some PCTs sought to decide not to recognise the LPC, a final decision on which was on hold until January 2006. There has been no update regarding the Bates report on the website and one might conclude that no progress has been made or that the further investigations are pending. Given the serious nature of the report and the implications to the wider profession, one would feel that an update from the LPC would have been forthcoming by now.

Andrew J. Burr
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

GARY BOORMAN, chairman, North East London LPC, responds: We understand the need to be able to update the LPC website and had hoped to be able to do so by now. We are still waiting for the outcome of deliberations by other organisations and will respond as soon as we are able. Interested readers are referred to last week’s issue (PJ, 14 January, p34).

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