The RSG delivered a progress update at the Pharmacy Show on 17th October, with a repeat session on 18th October. Sandeep Dhami, James Wood and Deep Sen Gupta presented in person to a well-attended Keynote Theatre, with a highly informed and constructive audience Q&A afterward.
 
Slides from the session are now available to view on the RSG website. We emphasised to the audience that in January 2021, the RSG was tasked with producing a contractor-led and designed decision-making process for the proposals to be put to the sector. A key pillar of RSG ways of working was to collaborate with the sector in the development of the proposal. We have committed to do so in an iterative and consultative manner in order to produce a proposal that would have broad support, with direct involvement and open feedback from contractors.
 
In summary, the following were the key messages delivered at the Pharmacy Show:

1. Programme plan: The programme is on track to deliver against the timeline. In October it is taking and collating key input from stakeholders on the subject of representative future structures (see Focus Groups section below)
2. Engagement: Overall engagement from across the sector has been impressive, with over 5,000 people reading our emails, and 11,500 visits to the RSG website. We would always like more, and encourage you to take the opportunity to register your views
3. Role of future local organisations: We shared updates from the focus group feedback in the summer where representatives across the sector came together to give their views on the roles of local and national representative organisations. Key takeaways from those sessions can be found in full here.
4. On NHS ICS alignment and LPCs: RSG has received overwhelming feedback supporting the alignment of a future LPC network to ICS in the new NHS structures. Aligning pharmacy representation with NHS structures will maximise community pharmacy influence at system level including positioning it as a key frontline healthcare provider and recognised contributor to achieving NHS targets 
5. Representation: Now that we have defined the roles, RSG will start to explore, with the input of focus groups, how contractors should be represented in the new organisation; and what wider structure and governance is needed to ensure the local and national organisations are set up to deliver the best possible services to contractors.
6. Contractor vote: An update on the voting process (see below).