Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council

The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council which provided a background summary of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2018-2021.

The PNA was an assessment of the need for pharmaceutical services for a specific population and was the tool by which the Health and Wellbeing Board ensured people had access to the right NHS pharmaceutical services, at the right time, in the right place.

The main findings of the PNA for 2018-2021 were Sheffield was well- served by its pharmacies and dispensing doctors with good coverage and choice across the different areas of the City, with good availability and access arrangements, including out of hours, high levels of patient satisfaction and no gaps in provision.

Pharmacies in the City had good links with NHS services both in relation to primary care and acute hospital services.  However it was recognised there was potential to develop this much further, particularly in the context of developing integrated primary care services.

Jayne Brown, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust found the document very comprehensive, and asked if it was felt we were doing enough to support pharmacies?

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council advised that pharmacists were very skilled and carried out an enormous range of services, but there was always more that could be done.

Local pharmacies were already contributing extensively to raising awareness and understanding of health risks, promoting healthy lifestyles, providing advice and signposting to treatment and providing services, often in more accessible and acceptable settings.

Councillor Jackie Drayton felt encouraged by the community pharmacies being innovative in supporting Children and Young People and the Sexual Health Services.

The Board were advised that demographic and cost pressures from patients with long-term conditions was only likely to increase in the coming years and pharmacy’s continued role in helping to meet the need was acknowledged.

Future known developments were unlikely to generate significant need for additional provision over the lifetime of the PNA.

RESOLVED that the board;

1)    approve the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018-2021 and;

2)    agree that the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018-2021 be published on the Council’s website by 1^st April 2018 together with a map of pharmacies in Sheffield.