In the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was thought that the SPS service could be more efficiently delivered if fully and directly commissioned by NHSE&I. In essence, this meant that service delivery would be brought into a formal contract, with a new service specification setting out an integrated structure reporting to the Head of Service. The process of transformation moves to a centralised model with the aim of producing a more united and integrated service that provides streamlined access to all healthcare professionals. The transformation plan indicated that host organisations would be consolidated from around 16 to 6 with a new staffing structure and a national head allocating Medicines Information (MI) work to 3 or 4 fully funded SPS regional MI centres.
Although the transformation programme started three years ago, it was paused from 1 April 2022 by NHSE&I to enable further discussions to take place. The pause was lifted during June 2022 and the SPS then worked towards an implementation date of 1 September 2022, from when a contract will be in place for the remainder of the three-year period to March 2025.
You can read more about the plans here.
The PDA has received queries from individual members concerned about their split roles and the impact this transformation will have on their jobs. There is reasonable anxiety around what this transformation means on a more local level and how secure these pharmacists are in their current roles.
The PDA reached out to the SPS and has learnt that individual host organisations with successful bids will be contracted and funded to provide a specified SPS service. It will be a Trust level decision to determine whether to progress split roles taking into consideration local performance and SPS service objectives. The SPS have informed the PDA that locally agreed job plans can help to overcome this.
It is understandable that affected members may have doubt over how their roles will look in the future. However, the PDA would encourage open dialogue with managers and senior leadership teams to understand the direction the Trust is hoping to take.
If you are a member impacted by these proposals, please contact the PDA service centre should you require further advice.
The PDA is currently scoping issues face by hospital pharmacists, please take the opportunity to have your say by completing the following survey:
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