Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 10 No 9 p374
October 2003

News summary

Related websites
DoH: Agenda for change (more)

Pharmacy overlooked in NHS knowledge and skills framework

The NHS knowledge and skills framework (KSF), which forms part of “Agenda for change” makes little reference to pharmacy practice or medicines, according to Tony West, clinical director and chief pharmacist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London. Mr West was speaking at the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group annual conference in Cardiff on 20 September about the working draft of the KSF and related development review.

He said that the KSF refers to professional groups such as dieticians and physiotherapists, because these groups have nationally agreed occupational standards that the pharmacy profession does not yet have. He said: “The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has published standards but there is no detail behind them. We will have to use local competencies.” He said that the biggest challenge to pharmacy is writing such descriptors for the profession.

The KSF is designed to provide a common framework to support consistent development and appraisal of staff as they move around the NHS and to provide the basis of pay progression. The KSF describes a number of dimensions of knowledge and skills required for NHS jobs. Some dimensions which are expected to be relevant to all jobs are described as core, and dimensions which only apply to some jobs, such as research and development, are described as specific. Each dimension is explained by level descriptors that reflect the generally recognised steps in extending and applying knowledge and skills in a NHS environment.

The working draft of the KSF can be accessed as a PDF file (450K).