Announcements
Contractor vote set to be held in May 2022, RSG confirms
A proposed way forward to ensure that the support and services offered by PSNC and the LPCs are fit for the future has been reached by the Review Steering Group (RSG).
The RSG has been looking for ways to solve the issues identified by David Wright’s Independent Review into the support and representation offered by PSNC and the LPCs.
After a year of extensive listening, exploratory work, analysis, and discussion within the sector, proposals that have broad consensus are being finalised.
The RSG is once again engaging with AIM, the CCA and the NPA, as well as with PSNC and LPCs, seeking broad support for these proposals. Following this engagement, the RSG will publish its final proposals: all contractors will be asked to consider these, and to take part in a contractor vote to confirm that they are happy for the changes to PSNC and the LPCs be taken forward.
What happens next?
The proposals will be published shortly after Easter. The RSG will make the proposals as easy to read and understand as possible, and is working to the following timetable:
| w/c 25 April 2022 | Proposals published |
| w/c 23 May | Contractor Voting Period begins |
Contractors will have four weeks before voting begins in May to reflect on the proposals and will be encouraged to participate in a series of contractor events. The events will give a chance for questions and to hear from those who have worked on the proposals.
Full instructions on how to vote will be shared with contractors in due course.
The Proposals and Vote
The work undertaken by the RSG has been complex, and has involved extensive listening and involvement of stakeholders, alongside exploratory work to understand the external environment, potential costs, benefits, feasibility, and acceptability of various options for the way ahead.
The final proposals will set out a range of ways in which the RSG believes PSNC and the LPCs could work better together to ensure that contractors get the best possible representation. This will include setting a vision for community pharmacy, reducing duplication between LPCs and PSNC, and ensuring contractors get the same levels of support, wherever they are in the country.
Contractors will be asked to vote either to accept, or to reject, the proposals in full.
Only individual contractors will be eligible to vote and this will be an important chance to make positive changes to the benefits and services that they receive from LPCs and PSNC.
Friday 8th October 2021: RSG publishes outputs from summer focus groups
Over the summer the RSG held a series of focus groups where representatives from across the sector came together to give their views on what the roles of local and national representative organisations should be. The focus of these sessions was to look at what the national and local roles for representation and support should be.
Thank you to all contractors, LPCs, PSNC Members and trade associations who fed into these discussions. You can now read our set of slides summarising the key feedback we received in the sessions, and setting out the RSG’s final view on what the roles for local and national representation and support organisations of the future should be: read the summary slides
Our focus will now turn to how these functions can best be delivered. To sign up for our next round of focus groups, click here.
Thursday 30th September 2021: PSNC CEO Simon Dukes encourages the sector to come together to shape future representation and support
In his final blog as PSNC Chief Executive, Simon Dukes last week encouraged everybody in community pharmacy to stay focused on the RSG’s end goal, which is to improve ways of working so that all contractors get top quality and consistent representation, support and services.
Simon once again urged contractors to take part in the work of the RSG and share their ideas for the future, and he stressed the need for the sector to come together collaboratively. He warned of the damage done by divisions within the sector stating: “Contractors must not let divisions take centre stage. Come together with a willingness to collaborate and compromise, to shape a better future, and whatever you vote on, PSNC and LPCs must take forward your mandate as best as they can.
Click here to read the blog.
Wednesday 1st September 2021: Introducing Deep Sen Gupta, our new Programme Manager
The RSG has welcomed Deep Sen Gupta as its new Programme Manager.
Deep will work with the RSG to:
- Develop options for the future operating model of the national and local organisations that support and represent pharmacy contractors
- Develop detailed design proposals of the future organisation structures
- Execute the proposal approval process/contractor vote
- Develop the approach to implementing the changes voted by contractors
Deep’s experience in managing end to end programme delivery spans a broad range of operational and structural transformation, as well as implementing new operating models to improve efficiency, performance, and service delivery
Friday 13th August: RSG survey on future roles of national and local organisations
Please take a look at these slides that outline the potential roles of the national and local organisations and then answer the survey questions via the online forms:
Survey questions on potential role of national organisations
Survey questions on potential role of local organisations
Please note this survey ends Wednesday 1st September
Monday 9th August 2021: RSG publishes written update, one page summary and podcast
To find out what the RSG is currently working on, what happens next and how you can have your say, read the latest update here.
The RSG has also published a one page summary about its work, how contractors can get involved and the timing of the contractor vote. This can be found here.
Too busy to read our updates? You can listen to an update on the work of the RSG here.
Tuesday 13th July 2021: Video update from James Wood, RSG Secretary and details of focus group sessions
Hear from RSG Secretary James Wood about how to get involved with the work of the RSG via the Contractor Forum and how the RSG is engaging with the pharmacy sector and its work over the next few weeks and months.
The RSG will be holding focus groups for contractors, LPCs, contractor trade body representatives and PSNC members between Friday 30th July and Wednesday 6th August to further develop and evolve the potential options for representation and support. To register to attend click here.
Monday 12th July 2021: RSG publishes updated FAQs
The RSG have produced updated FAQs following the pharmacy sector event on 14th June and these can be found here.
Friday 9th July 2021: RSG continues its search to appoint a Programme Manager
The PSNC is continuing its search to appoint an experienced Programme Manager for an immediate start, to drive the programme of work identified by the RSG, prepare options for contractor consideration and implement solutions to the issues identified in the Wright Review. For more details on this role and how to apply click here.
Monday 28th June 2021: PSNC CEO Simon Dukes encourages contractors to engage with work of the RSG
PSNC’s CEO Simon Dukes last week encouraged community pharmacy contractors to get engaged with the work of the Pharmacy Review Steering Group as it begins to map out new structures and ways of working for PSNC and the LPCs.
In a video update, Simon Dukes advised contractors that now is the time to get interested as the RSG looks to improve what contractors get in return for their levy. The RSG programme is entering an important phase of work, and Simon asks that the sector focuses on consensus and compromise and works to find an answer to the future of contractor representation and support together.
Click here to watch the video update.
Friday 18th June 2021: How the RSG has listened to your feedback
Community pharmacy contractors and LPCs attended two events in May to tell the RSG what they thought about the RSG Programme Design Principles and RSG Draft Programme Plan to take forward work to improve contractor representation and support.
To find out how your feedback has helped shape the development of the final programme design principles and timeline of activity which was presented at the pharmacy sector wide event on Monday 14th June click here. Feedback from the 14th June event will also be examined and taken into consideration for RSG work going forwards.
Friday 28th May 2021: RSG At A Glance Guide
The Pharmacy Representation Review Steering Group (RSG) has today published an At A Glance Guide to its work. The guide has been written for contractors and it should provide a useful recap on the RSG and its work.
The guide looks back to the reasons why the RSG was set up, following the PSNC-initiated independent review of the contractor representation and support offered by PSNC and LPCs.
It explains the work that the RSG has done to date, as well as setting out a draft timeline for next activities.
The guidance is accompanied by some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) following the RSG’s Contractor Forum Engagement event earlier this week on Tuesday 25 May.
Read the RSG At A Glance Guide
Read the RSG’s latest FAQs for contractors
Thursday 27th May 2021
The Review Steering Group (RSG) notes and welcomes the decision by PSNC to postpone its elections until early in 2023. The decision follows communications from the RSG about our draft workplan and high-level timeline for change.
Read the PSNC Announcement on Elections
Read the RSG’s Statement on PSNC and LPC Elections
Monday 24th May 2021
The PSNC is looking to appoint an experienced Programme Manager for an immediate start, to drive the programme of work identified by the RSG, prepare options for contractor consideration and implement solutions to the issues identified in the Wright Review. For more details on this role and how to apply click here.
Friday 26th March 2021
A list of FAQs drawn from questions posed at the RSG’s contractor and LPC engagement events in March 2021 can be found here.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
Community pharmacy contractors who were unable to attend the ‘Your Representation, Your Say’ engagement event hosted by members of the RSG on 9th March 2021 can now view an on-demand version.
Watch the event recording here
Tuesday 9th March 2021
The RSG has appointed The Berkeley Partnership LLP as programme management advisers led by Jennifer Johnston. to:
- Further refine the project scope
- Develop the programme plan, approach and key milestones (with initial focus on mobilisation)
- Support the facilitation, engagement and alignment of stakeholders
- Create a high level programme structure with an overview of governance, resource, financial and external support/expertise requirements
Press Releases
Tuesday 26th January 2021: Pharmacy Representation Review Steering Group Update
Pharmacy Representation RSG 