Contractor Support Material

Useful Contractors support material

Get your blood pressure checked resources

There are a range of resources to help you support the campaign including social media, digital screens, communications toolkit, web banners and printed “pharmacy finder” cards. If you are a pharmacy that delivers the NHS Blood Pressure Check Service you can order a pharmacy campaign pack including a counter display unit, posters, consultation cards, pharmacy bag inserts and a briefing document – available while stocks last.

To download or order resources, please vist the Campaign resources website

The campaign will be clearly branded to align with “pharmacy first campaigns” and will feature the “See your Pharmacist, Help us, Help you” logo as well as a clear call to action “Get your blood pressure checked today at your pharmacy” directing to this NHS tool. 

Ride London 2024

The Ride London Cycling Event which is due to take place on the 24^th of May.  It is a cycling race with 120 professional athletes competing on across 160kms of road (which will involve rolling road closures) with stage one of the event starting in Saffron Walden.  Potential impacts may include staff/patients travelling for appointments/work due the rolling road closures.

For further details including the road closures see here

NHS Service Finder

The NHS Service Finder is a free online search tool which provides access to information from the Directory of Services (DoS) and nhs.uk.

It is not open to the public, but it does allow pharmacy team members and other healthcare professionals with an NHS.net email to search for service information quickly, allowing a patient to be signposted to the most appropriate service for their needs. The system includes maps and directions to the services, plus the ability to email service information directly to your patient.

This tool also enables pharmacy teams to look-up non-public telephone numbers (where available) for listed services, such as general practice bypass numbers.

GP CPCS

For resource details for Train the Trainer please click below

• Train the trainer recording
• Presentation
• HWE Presentation
• Conditions
• HWE Conditions
• Screenshots & Explanations
• Pharmacy details onto S1
• CPCS icon toolbar onto S1
• Myths

If you require more details please contact

• Renate Scheffer – HWE
• Sarah Exall – MSE
• Sarah Westall – SNEE

Retention of Patient Records

Retaining and storing pharmacy records in England, please see here for details from the Specialist Pharmacy Service and for the Records Management Code of Practice click here.

Monitored Dosage Systems (MDS)

Please be aware that there is no NHS-funded service for MDS except for in very limited circumstances, i.e. when a patient meets the criteria for reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010, is assessed by the community pharmacist and the most appropriate reasonable adjustment is MDS, taking into account both the patient assessment and the suitability/stability of the medicines when supplied in such a way. This would not include patient (or third party, such as care agency or GP practice) requests for MDS for convenience.

The Essex LPC Ultimate Guide to Monitored Dosage Systems (including template letter for social care agencies)

Reasonable adjustment

Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement to make sure health services are accessible to all disabled people. https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/reasonable-adjustments/

Preventing aggressive or abusive behaviour in community pharmacy

Information pack: Preventing and dealing with aggressive and abusive behaviour in community pharmacy from the East of England Pharmacy Local Professional Networks

Mid Essex Talking Therapies ( previously known HPFT IAPT)

Mid Essex Talking Therapies service is available to anyone over the age of 17 who is registered or intending to be registered with a GP in Chelmsford, Braintree, Maldon, and the surrounding villages. The team of experienced therapists will work with patients to understand their challenges and equip them with tools and techniques to manage their difficulties. Conditions treated include depression, stress and the full range of anxiety disorders which includes generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), health anxiety and social anxiety. They triage and assess clients in a timely and professional manner. The  service is continuing to work collaboratively with physical health services to develop pathways to support multiple long-term conditions such as COPD, Cardiac Rehab and Oncology

For more information and their services please visit their website

Suicide Prevention Training & Resources for Pharmacists

As healthcare professionals, pharmacists play a crucial role in their community’s well-being, and it is essential that we are equipped to address not only physical health concerns but also mental health issues.

We would like to bring your attention to a valuable resource that can enhance your ability to support patients and community members who may be struggling with mental health challenges. The Let’s Talk About Suicide website offers comprehensive advice and tips on mental health, suicide prevention, local and National charities, safety plans, and FREE suicide prevention training.

As pharmacists, you are often in a unique position to interact with patients regularly. Taking advantage of the FREE suicide prevention training on this website can empower us to recognise the signs of someone who may be feeling suicidal. This training will not only benefit our professional skills but, more importantly, enable us to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.

Additionally, by familiarising ourselves with the content on the website, we can effectively recommend it to our patients. This will help them recognise the signs of distress in their families, friends, and even strangers, and provide them with the necessary advice and tips to respond appropriately.

We are asking each of you to take some time to explore the Let’s Talk About Suicide website brought to you by Thurrock and Brentwood Mind and the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System and complete the training. The knowledge gained can be a powerful tool in our efforts to contribute to the mental well-being of our community

Taking this training could help save a life.  www.letstalkaboutsuicide.co.uk

Drug Tariff

To notify PSNC of product over Drug Tariff prices please click here

Mid and South Essex Integration Care System

Please visit MSE ICS website for all the latest news.

Primary Care Careers – Pilot for Community Pharmacy

The Primary Care Careers team are an ICB-level recruitment service that is currently funded and supported across  5 eastern region ICBs (HWE, MSE, BLMK, N&W and SNEE), providing a dedicated recruitment support function for general practice teams. The service aims to provide recruitment support for a career in primary care, currently supporting GP practices to attract and recruit to their workforce.

If you have a vacancy for any job role across the team that you would like help to recruit for, we would strongly suggest you utilise this tailored and personalised service that takes much of the leg work away from your busy team and lets the team at Primary Care Careers do the advertising across Indeed, NHS Jobs, their dedicated website and social media. They will then help you by managing applications and provide you with a shortlist of potential applicants for you to contact to arrange interviews.

For more details and to express an interest please visit the Community Pharmacy Suffolk website

Beezee bodies

How to get children eating healthier, join programmes starting in January in the Thurrock area.