Agenda item

The Health and Wellbeing Board has a statutory duty to produce a pharmaceutical needs assessment.  This report presents the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and a proposal to consult on the draft for 60 days.

Discussion:

The Director of Public Health introduced this report and informed Board Members that the Board had a statutory requirement to produce a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) by April 2015 and that there was a requirement for formal consultation on the document.

Cheryl Clennett, Consultant for Kent Public Health, had developed the draft PNA and provided details on the basis on which it could be considered that access to these services was considered adequate in both urban and rural areas. She highlighted a number of issues in Medway with particular reference to rural areas such as the Hoo Peninsula where there were a number of dispensing doctors in the absence of pharmacies. She referred Board Members to the updated maps in relation to the draft PNA, as set out in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

Board Members discussed a number of issues including:

• That reference to Peter’s Park in paragraph 5.1.3 of the covering report should have read “Peter’s Pitt”.
• That it be noted that the Lodge Hill development was a contentious issue and this would likely be reflected in consultation responses.
• That concern regarding the lack of pharmaceutical services on the Isle of Grain would likely be reflected in the consultation responses.
• That whilst access to pharmaceutical services had been measured on proximity, could other factors such as quality of services be included? The Consultant for Kent Public Health stated that “other” factors were not part of the PNA, however, issues such as quality of services were  a matter for NHS England. She informed Board Members that residents would have a degree of choice in accessing pharmaceutical services in Medway.
• That pharmacies had to be viable as a business which would be a factor in explaining the lack of services on the Isle of Grain. In such cases, there would be an increase in the provision of dispensing doctors.

The Board also discussed the findings arising from the draft PNA and expressed concern that the conclusions of the steering group set out in paragraphs 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of the covering report were included prior to consultation.

Decisions

a)     The Health and Wellbeing Board noted the finding that there are proposed major housing developments in Medway, the main one being Lodge Hill.  There is also a proposed development in Peter’s Pitt which is in Kent but close to the Medway border in Wouldham. This will mean that these areas will need to be reviewed on a regular basis to identify any increases in pharmaceutical need.

b)     The Health and Wellbeing Board noted the finding that the current provision of “standard 40 hour” pharmacies should be maintained especially in rural villages and areas such as the Hoo peninsula.

c)      The Health and Wellbeing Board noted the finding that the current provision of “100 hour” pharmacies should be maintained.

d)     The Health and Wellbeing Board agreed that the current draft PNA should be used as the consultation document for the purposes of the statutory consultation and to approve a consultation on the draft PNA with the relevant stakeholders for a period of 60 days from publication.