1 Back to the top

Community Pharmacy Bulletin

21 August 2020

NHS England and NHS Improvement – South West

In this week’s Issue:

Coming Up ........................................................................................................................................ 1

Headlines from the Week .................................................................................................................. 2

The 2020-21 Flu Programme – Live Webinar .................................................................................... 2

Flu Vaccinations Available Free for All Key Health Workers (this includes Pharmacy Staff) .............. 3

Pharmacy Quality Scheme Part 2 2020-21 – Initial Update ............................................................... 3

Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme (IFPP) Update............................................................... 3

Online Training – PQS 2020-21 Part 1 .............................................................................................. 3

Useful Information ............................................................................................................................. 4

Coming Up

August September October

Week 1

Declaration of emergency requiring the flexible provision

of Pharmaceutical services ceases 1 September 2020

------------------------------- 2020-21 Flu Programme –

Live Webinar 2 September 2020, 1-2pm

Applications to amend Supplementary Hours for

Thursday 31 December 2020 must be submitted by

2 October 2020

Week 2

Week 3

Digital Primary Care Online Presence – Accessibility

Compliance Webinar (19 August 2020, 5 - 6pm)

Complete Voluntary Opening Hours form for Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays by

18 September 2020

2 Back to the top

August September October

Week 4

Applications to amend Supplementary Hours for

Thursday 24 December 2020 must be submitted by 25 September 2020

------------------------------- Applications to amend Core

and Supplementary Hours for Saturday 26 December 2020

must be submitted by 27 September 2020

Week 5 August Bank Holiday

Headlines from the Week NHS England

• New infection prevention and control guidance

• Non-sterile gowns – important information NHS England South West Regional Team

• None PSNC Bulletin

• Endorsing non-Part VIII EPS items

• DHSC’s end of Brexit Transition Period letter updated

• Matt Hancock thanks NHS workforce and invites views on reducing bureaucracy from healthcare workers

• Patient safety alert: Steroid Emergency Card

• New organisation to take on public health role

• New measures to support safe use of stimulant laxatives available over-the-counter

• August 2020 Price Concessions

The 2020-21 Flu Programme – Live Webinar NHS England and Improvement for the South West would like to invite you to an MS Teams Live Event to provide an overview of the forthcoming Flu programme for 2020-21, this will also include advice on appropriate PPE. Colleagues from Public Health and the Infection Prevention and Control Team will be present to offer guidance and practical advice to support implementation. The event will take place on Wednesday 2 September 2020, 13:00-14:00 and is open to all Community Pharmacies. The Webinar will be accessible on the above day and time by clicking: Flu - MS Teams live link. You will be able to raise questions during the event, alternatively if you wish to submit these in advance then please do send them to england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net Following the event a Frequently Asked Question guide will be produced and circulated. If you have any questions or have issues in accessing the link please email england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net.

3 Back to the top

Flu Vaccinations Available Free for All Key Health Workers (this includes Pharmacy Staff) This year is our biggest ever flu programme designed to protect all NHS and Care staff, as well as the public. Which is why for the first time all Pharmacy Staff are also encouraged to get the free vaccination to help protect you, your colleagues, your family and those you come into contact with from the flu. After what has been a difficult year for all health services, we want to ensure our staff can prevent becoming ill with flu. This in turn will also avoid disruption to services, which is particularly important when pressures on frontline services may be severe this winter. Campaign Materials As in previous years campaign materials are available and to download, including social media messaging, TV screens and open artwork for you to adapt. You will find the information here, and attached is one of the focused leaflets from the website, making the case for the health and social care workers flu vaccination campaign.

Pharmacy Quality Scheme Part 2 2020-21 – Initial Update (taken from the Covid-19 Primary Care Bulletin – 21 August 2020 (issue 63)) The Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Part 2 has been agreed and the final, detailed requirements will be published in the Drug Tariff in September. In the meantime, community pharmacies are being asked to look at the initial information shared on the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee’s website. It has been agreed that completion of the Part 1 scheme will be a Gateway requirement for the Part 2 scheme. We would like to emphasise the PCN domain where community pharmacy and GP practices will need to collaborate to maximise flu vaccine uptake. In addition, community pharmacy is being asked to coordinate with their PCNs regarding business continuity during the pandemic. Pharmacy contractors are asked to ensure that all outstanding staff risk assessments are undertaken and mitigating actions put in place as soon as possible.

Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme (IFPP) Update Health Education England have shared the third weekly update from the IFPP Programme Team, registration for the IFPP is now live and applications are being accepted. The attached update includes the latest news in brief, links to further information, your questions answered and the background to the programme.

Online Training – PQS 2020-21 Part 1 Virtual Outcomes are providing online training that will walk you through the 14 items on the checklist and give suggestions on what evidence you and the team need to keep. Access to this training is via the online training library.

4 Back to the top

Useful Information

NHS England & Improvement – South West Region Community Pharmacy Contract Management Team contact information

Team Member Telephone Address

Jenny Collins 07979 308749 For Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Somerset and Dorset:

NHS England and Improvement – South West Peninsula House Kingsmill Road Tamar View Industrial Estate Saltash, PL12 6LE

Please note all our offices are currently closed, please do not send post and use email wherever possible

Email: england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net

Michele Toy 07568 431890

Les Riggs 07730 371074

Sarah Lillington 07920 834445

Mary Cotton 07920 288191

Kath Hughes 07730 374739

Stacey Burch 07730 391418

Sharon Greaves 07900 715295 For Bristol, North Somerset, South Glos, Bath & North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, Swindon & Wiltshire

NHS England and Improvement – South West Sanger House, 5220 Valiant Court Gloucester Business Park, Brockworth Gloucester, GL3 4FE

Or

NHS England and Improvement – South West Jenner House, Avon Way Langley Park Chippenham, SN15 1GG

Please note all our offices are currently closed, please do not send post and use email wherever possible

Email: england.bgsw-pharmacy@nhs.net

Melissa Kendall-Milnes 07730 381340

Sharon Hodges 07702 411295

Tracey Howes 07730 380479

Joy Weeks 07702 407459

Chris Yengel 07769 963478

Websites

Please see our websites for more information and any blank templates, forms and documents:

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly, Devon, Bristol, Dorset, North Somerset, Somerset and South Gloucestershire

BaNES, Gloucestershire, Swindon or Wiltshire

Get your free flu vaccination

You can give flu to your family and patients without having symptoms. Protect those close to you.

Why it’s important to get your flu jab: 1. If you’re a frontline worker in the NHS, you’re more likely to be exposed to flu.

2. Catching flu can be serious. On average more than 11,000 people die each year from flu. Some years it’s much more and many more are hospitalised every year.

3. You can have flu without any symptoms and pass it on to family, friends and patients, many of whom may be at increased risk from flu.

4. Being healthy doesn’t reduce your risk of getting flu or passing it on.

5. With COVID-19 in circulation, it’s more important than ever to stop the spread of flu and reduce pressure on the NHS.

HCW20-LEAFNHS©Crown copyright 2020

When to get your jab:You can’t get flu from the flu jab. You need to get a flu jab every year to help protect yourself against new strains of the virus. The earlier you get the flu jab the better as it ensures you’re covered before the virus starts to circulate.

The flu jab is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your patients against flu.

www.hee.nhs.uk @NHS_HealthEdEng

Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme (IFPP) Update #3 w/c 17th August 2020

Thank you for your interest in the new Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme (IFPP).

This is the third of our weekly updates from the programme team.

Please keep sending your questions to the team at fpp@hee.nhs.uk.

If you and your colleagues wish to receive further updates about the programme, please email

fpp@hee.nhs.uk, stating ‘IFPP Updates’ in the subject header.

News in brief

➢ Registration for the IFPP is now live!

Find out more and sign up on our dedicated IFPP web page. This includes a flowchart

outlining the eligibility criteria and process, and the registration form. Please bookmark the

IFPP web page for easy reference: we are updating your FAQs regularly.

➢ The new RPS E-portfolio for provisional registrants is live. As part of the IFPP, we

are providing funded access to this resource for the 12-month duration of the programme.

Access to the E-portfolio extends to pre-registration pharmacists who have completed their

training but have not joined the provisional register.

➢ The Centre for Postgraduate Pharmacy Education (CPPE) will deliver the IFPP for

provisionally registered pharmacists who work in community pharmacy. Find out more on

the CPPE website.

➢ The IFPP aims to complement existing hospital, primary care programmes and the CPPE

programme for community pharmacy. We will provide further detail in future briefings.

➢ For Pharmacy professionals: CPPE is recruiting new education supervisors to support

delivery of the IFPP. Find out more here.

Your questions answered

How do I register with the IFPP? Is there a fee to join?

Please visit our dedicated IFPP web page. The flowchart for eligibility and process will guide

you through the next steps. The IFPP registration form is on the web page. The form should

take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

There is no fee or cost to accessing the programme or the registration process.

www.hee.nhs.uk @NHS_HealthEdEng

Is the IFPP mandatory?

➢ The programme is not mandatory. It is not a requirement of the GPhC assessment that

candidates are enrolled on the IFPP.

➢ However, while IFPP is not mandatory, participation will help you demonstrate

progression against the Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme (IFPP) and the Royal

Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Foundation Framework 2019. Our aim is for IFPP to

support your future career development.

➢ We encourage all eligible participants to opt into the programme now that registration is

open.

What do I receive at the end of the programme? Are there academic credits attached?

A pharmacist who successfully completes the programme will receive a Health Education

England statement of progression against the Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme.

Do I have to register with the IFPP if I am already registered with a work programme or

with the CPPE Foundation Pharmacist programme?

Yes. Registering with the IFPP will give you access to a library of resources, including

OpenAthens, e-Learning for Healthcare, SCRIPT (e-learning for prescribing and therapeutics)

and CPPE resources. These resources will help provisionally registered pharmacists maintain

and develop their clinical knowledge and assist with registration assessment revision.

You do not have to be employed as a provisionally registered pharmacist to register with the

IFPP and access these resources.

HEE will also extend resource access to pre-registration pharmacists who have previously sat

the registration exam but are not eligible to become provisionally registered pharmacists.

We encourage all eligible participants to opt into the programme now that registration is open.

How does the IFPP work with established foundation training programmes?

Some employers already have established foundation training programmes. These range from

formal programmes provided by large multiples (community pharmacies), or informal

(rotational) programmes across other sectors including secondary and primary care. The IFPP

is intended to complement current workplace programmes.

The IFPP will not mandate any time out of practice for training. Your employer may provide

you with access to other learning opportunities and courses (eg in-house training or external

courses) to meet your individual learning needs for the IFPP.

www.hee.nhs.uk @NHS_HealthEdEng

Can you tell me more about the IFPP for provisionally registered pharmacists who work

in community pharmacy?

Health Education England have arranged for the Centre for Postgraduate Pharmacy

Education (CPPE) to support delivery of the IFPP for provisionally registered pharmacists who

work in community pharmacy (where formal programmes do not exist).

The CPPE Foundation Pharmacist programme supports community pharmacists now joining

the provisional register, as they progress through their first year after pre-registration training.

The CPPE programme will support community pharmacists develop and demonstrate

proficiency against the HEE Interim Foundation Pharmacists Programme and the Royal

Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Foundation Pharmacist Framework 2019. Find out more on the

CPPE website.

Who is eligible to access the new RPS E-portfolio?

All provisionally registered pharmacists can use the RPS E-portfolio to collate evidence for the

IFPP in England. You can access the RPS provisional registration E-portfolio at this link.

➢ Members of the RPS: You should use your usual RPS login details.

➢ Non-members of the RPS: Please complete a registered user form, which provides you

with a ‘registered-user’ account for the E-portfolio.

Please note: The E-portfolio feature that supports provisionally registrants to document that

they are meeting the GPhC requirements relating to provisional registration applies only to

practising pharmacists.

We hope that you will join the IFPP and benefit from the support provided for your foundation

practice.

Please refer to our dedicated IFPP web page for more information and to sign up.

Follow @NHS_HealthEdEng #IFPP

If you and your colleagues wish to receive further updates about the programme, please email

fpp@hee.nhs.uk, stating ‘IFPP Updates’ in the subject header.

www.hee.nhs.uk @NHS_HealthEdEng

Background to the IFPP

On 23 July 2020, Health Education England with NHS England and NHS Improvement published a

joint letter setting out the context for accelerating the reform of pharmacist education. This letter also

announced that Health Education England, in partnership with key stakeholders, is establishing an

Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme to help provisionally registered pharmacists transition to

full GPhC registration and beyond. This is because the training and registration of the 2019/20 cohort

of pre-registration pharmacists has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The first phase of the reform and the purpose of the Interim Foundation Programme is to provide

provisionally registered pharmacists with the foundation training support they need.

This new Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme, known as IFPP, is an HEE funded 12- month

education and training programme, starting in September 2020. The IFPP has three aims:

➢ To support provisionally registered pharmacists in England transition to full GPhC registration and

beyond. 

➢ To develop pharmacists’ ability to achieve high quality outcomes for patients, improve patient

safety and reduce medication errors.

➢ To inform the next stage of pharmacist education and reform.

A joint letter from Health Education England and NHS England and NHS Improvement was shared on

22 July with key stakeholders, outlining the context for Pharmacist Education and Training Reform.

The letter is available at this link.

A letter from Health Education England was shared with the 2019/20 cohort of pre-registration

pharmacists, announcing the Interim Foundation Pharmacist Programme. This letter was also

cascaded widely with key partners and stakeholders and is available at this link.