Pharmacy “tremendous” over oxygen crisis, says health minister
Sandra Gidley: ministerial comments about phased handover misleading |
Community pharmacy's response to the recent oxygen crisis has been acknowledged as “tremendous” by Liam Byrne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health.
Mr Byrne said during a House of Commons adjournment debate on the matter: “The
part played by many pharmacists in coming forward to ensure that patients’ needs
came first was magnificent. Both the DoH and the NHS greatly appreciate
their professionalism and commitment to patient care, which they have
displayed in spades over the past few weeks.”
Mr Byrne was responding to criticism of the DoH’s handling of the
introduction of the new home oxygen service. He maintained the Government’s
position that there was to be a six-month transition period from 1 February
for the 30,000 cylinder service patients in England. But he failed to
apologise for the shambles into which the handover descended.
In the debate
last week, pharmacist MP Sandra Gidley (Lib Dem, Romsey)
said it had been clearly understood by pharmacists that they would not
be able to supply oxygen after 1 February except in response to prescriptions
written before that date. She said that ministerial statements, that
the change from pharmacy supply to regional contractors was always intended
to be phased in over six months, were misleading. The NHS Primary Care
Contracting website had made it clear that GPs would not be able to prescribe
oxygen after 1 February and supplies to 30,000 patients ceased abruptly
on that date. She added that it was only DoH mismanagement that meant
that regulations to stop GPs prescribing oxygen after that date never
materialised. “I am not quite sure where the idea that there has
been a transition period comes from, because it has certainly not been
the perception of anyone who works in the industry.”
In a response to a
letter to The Journal this week (p320), the NHS PCC
apologies for any confusion its guidance may have caused. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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