David Wright, Professor of Pharmacy Practice from the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia has been appointed to lead an independent review of the roles and structures underpinning PSNC and the LPCs.

The review has been called at a time when the community pharmacy landscape is rapidly changing and local representation and support has never been more important. The purpose of the review is to result in recommendations which will optimise PSNC and LPC contractor representation and support and ensure that the national network structure is working as efficiently for contractors as it can and is fit for the future.

Professor Wright was quoted as saying: ‘It is a great honour to be asked to lead on this review at this important time for community pharmacy.  If I can oversee the development of a report which enhances the current representation and support for contractors provided by PSNC and the LPCs I will be delighted.

I have been given a very short time frame but have a team in place who will work hard to ensure that we capture everyone’s voice and synthesize that into recommendations which move community pharmacy representation and support forward.  I want to find out what is currently done well and how this could be done better, and what is done which may be better done by others. I want to know whether the current organisational structures, financial models and communication processes provide greatest value for money and if they don’t, to explore how we can change them.

I promise to ensure that the review is to be dispassionate, proportionate and focussed on delivery for contractors who are the paymasters.’

Simon Dukes, PSNC CEO, was quoted as saying: ‘PSNC and the LPCs are funding this independent review to look at what models and ways of working will best serve community pharmacy contractors in the future. The review comes as the community pharmacy sector enters a period of change, under the recently agreed five-year CPCF deal, and its purpose will be to find the most effective ways for PSNC and the LPCs to work together to represent and support contractors through those changes.

We hope the review will strengthen relationships between PSNC and the LPCs and find ways for us to collectively increase efficiencies so that contractors get best value for money. The review team will seek input from stakeholders across the sector, and they will want to hear directly from community pharmacy contractors – we hope that many of you will want to be involved.’

A national steering committee is being set up to oversee the project and work with Professor Wright and his team and whilst most members will be nominated either by employer representatives or LPCs, David would like to include two independent contractors.  Meetings will be in London, are planned to last for 2 hours from 1 to 3pm, with an attendance fee and travel expenses paid. With the dates set for December 19th, January 23rd, March 5th and April 2nd.  Any independent contractors  who are not currently on an LPC and are interested in joining the national steering committee are invited to send David Wright an expression of interest in no more than 50 words to d.j.wright@uea.ac.uk.

The review team is keen to hear from LPCs and contractors. The Steering Committee will decide at its first meeting this year exactly how the review should engage with the sector, but it is expected that the team will be running a series of focus groups early in 2020 to be supported by a national survey and more in-depth interviews with some individuals. Further details will be posted on the website in due course.

For further information on the review, please visit: pharmacy-review.org

Notes to editors

Queries about the review should be directed to Chair of the Review, Professor David Wright: d.j.wright@uea.ac.uk