Agenda item

(To receive a report from Alison Christie, Programme Manager, Public Health, which invites the Committee to receive the project plan timeline from the Lincolnshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) Steering Group on the production of the Lincolnshire PNA 2022; and a recommendation to initiate a working group to comment on the draft PNA during the statutory 60-day public consultation)

The Chairman invited Alison Christie, Programme Manager, Public Health, to remotely present the item to the Committee.

The Committee noted that completion of a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) was a statutory duty for Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) to undertake at least every three years.  It was noted that due to the pandemic, the requirement to republish an update PNA by the 31 March 2021 had been suspended, and the HWB was now required to publish the PNA by 31 March 2022.

It was reported that the PNA was a report of the present and future needs for Pharmaceutical services. The Councils Public Health Division was facilitating the process to prepare a revised assessment with external pharmaceutical expert resource being provided by the University of Lincoln.  It was noted that a PNA Steering Group had been convened to support the development of the PNA, which comprised of key stakeholders: community pharmacies (represented by the Local Pharmaceutical Committee), health services (represented by NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Public Health and the Local Medical Committee); and residents (represented by Healthwatch Lincolnshire).  A copy of the terms of reference and project plan of the Steering Group was detailed at Appendix A to the report.

The Committee was advised that the intention was to present a draft PNA to the HWB on 28 September 2021 for the Board to consider prior to the statutory 60-day consultation exercise being undertaken during October 2021.  The HWB would then approve the PNA at its March 2022 meeting.

The Committee was invited to establish a working group to feed into the consultation process on the draft PNA.

During consideration of this item, the Committee made the following comments:

·       Who was responsible for trying to fill any highlighted gaps in pharmacy provision.  The Committee was advised that NHS England as the commissioner for pharmaceutical services was responsible for filling in any gaps in provision;

·       Methods of consultation.  The Committee noted that statutory guidance did not require statutory consultation, but the Council had chosen to undertake consultation.  The Committee noted that last time the PNA went out to public consultation, 14 responses had been received from members of the public. The Committee noted that the PNA was a very technical document and was bound by complicated legislation.  It was reported that the public consultation would be carried out by Community Engagement team.  Confirmation was given that district councils were included on the list, as part of the engagement plan; and clarity was given that the process was a needs assessment and not a service assessment; and

·       One member enquired whether dentists were included.  It confirmed that dentists were not included, but could be looked at being included, but other certain conditions would have to be taken into consideration first.

The Chairman on behalf of the Committee extended thanks to the Programme Manager, Public Health for the presentation.

RESOLVED

1.    That the process to produce a revised Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment by 31 March 2022 be noted.

2.    That the project plan timeline from the Lincolnshire PNA Steering Group on the production of the Lincolnshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2022 be received.

3.    That a working group be established to comment on the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment during the statutory 60-day consultation, comprising of the following Councillors: Mrs R Kayberry-Brown, C S Macey, Mrs A White and L Wootten.