The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7462 p88
28 July 2007

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Can you take up the slack?

Funding for infection control pharmacists

Can you take up the slack?

Difficulties faced by patients wishing to see a GP — let alone “their” GP — when they want have been given widespread publicity this week. A survey of over two million patients in England suggests that, with the current emphasis on giving access to GPs within 48 hours of requesting an appointment, one in four patients is unable to book an appointment three or four days in advance at a time to suit his or her own convenience (p93).

The problem first came to light two years ago and may be further exacerbated because fewer GPs now open their surgeries on Saturday mornings and not many conduct early morning or late evening surgeries. However, the survey revealed that only 16 per cent of patients would want to visit a GP on evenings or weekends although the Government and the Confederation of British Industry would welcome such a move — the CBI, presumably, for the rather obvious reason that it would prefer patients to visit their GPs in their own, rather than employers’, time.

Nevertheless, there may be unmet needs that could be partly filled by pharmacists. The more patients that could be kept out of their GP surgeries for minor ailments, for example, the more flexible GPs could be in how they allocate their appointment slots. And, arguably, more people might welcome the chance to see their GP in the evening or at weekends if the service were offered.

Pharmacists keen to provide such services need to find out what is going on in their areas. Their local pharmaceutical committee will have a good idea of what particular problems are faced by the primary care trust.

The Journal would like to hear from any pharmacist who has been able to develop a genuinely innovative service that is able to take up some of the slack created by the changes in GP working practices. And we would also like to hear from pharmacists — in any part of Britain — who are employing doctors on a sessional basis in order to improve local health services out of normal working hours, as well as from pharmacists who may have already attempted to offer such a service but found obstacles that have proved insurmountable.

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Funding for infection control pharmacists

This week we would also like to hear from chief pharmacists in hospitals who may have found it difficult to find ongoing funding for infection control pharmacists.

In light of this week’s announcement from the Health Protection Agency about infection rates and publication of a Healthcare Commission report which implied that the presence of these pharmacists may have a significant impact on the control of hospital-acquired infections, we would like to hear from trusts that can point to the benefits.

Send your comments to editor@pharmj.org.uk since we will be following this up shortly.

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