For the Board to agree the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for the three-year period 2022 to 2025.

Rob Nelder (Consultant, Public Health) delivered the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment to the Board, and highlighted the following points-

a)     Producing the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) had required a large amount of work and cooperation between council staff, health organisations, and the Devon Steering Group, for which all were thanked;

b)    The PNA was a comprehensive assessment of the current and future pharmaceutical needs of the local population, community pharmacy, dispensing appliance contractors, and dispensing doctors in rural areas;

c)     Plymouth’s Health and Wellbeing Board had a legal duty to ensure the production of a PNA for Plymouth, as set out by the Health and Social Care act 2012. These were produced in 3 year cycles, with Plymouth’s last PNA published in 2018. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the PNA due to be published in 2021 had been put on hold, and was required to be published by 1 October 2022;

d)    All pharmacies or dispensing appliance contractors wishing to provide pharmaceutical services had to apply to NHS England to be included in the pharmaceutical list, making reference to the PNA and how their service would meet current and future needs;

e)     The PNA would be used by NHS England to inform decisions on which NHS services community pharmacies should provide, the location of them, and any need for additional pharmacies;

f)      The PNA contained ‘locality summaries’, providing an overview of the 4 areas within the city. For each locality, this detailed-

                              I.         a map of pharmacies within the area;

                            II.         the demography;

                           III.         an overview of the health needs;

                          IV.         housing growth and development;

                           V.         current pharmacy provision;

                          VI.         accessibility of services;

                        VII.         a gap analysis from the previous PNA, and this one.

g)     The PNA had identified that there appeared to be sufficient access to pharmaceutical service in Plymouth as a whole however, there remained a need for pharmacy services in Barne Barton due to the depravation and isolation of the community.

h)    The PNA had considered extensive housing developments proposed across the city in areas such as Woolwell, Sherford, and Saltram meadow however, determined that the pharmaceutical demand from these developments would not be likely to outstrip supply and create a gap within the 3 years covered by this PNA. It was likely that a future PNA would need to take these developments into consideration. 

i)      The PNA recognised increasing demand pressure on primary care services, with potential for significant change over the lifetime of this PNA. Supplementary statements could be issued to the PNA over the next 3 years as required, to address significant changes to service provision, housing, or other factors.

j)      A 60 day public consolation period was held for the PNA, with 5 responses received. These identified that the PNA met its requirements, gave accurate information, identified correct current and future gaps in provision, and had not excluded any gaps.

In response to questions from the Board, it was reported that-

k)     The Health team, in partnership with the Health and Wellbeing Board, were able to make representations to NHS England regarding potential pharmacy closures, mergers or start-ups; this helped ensure adequate provision;

l)      Community pharmacy faced significant financial and staffing pressures, leading to increased fragility. There was often little/ no warning when pharmacies closed, requiring work to increase the resilience of the system;

m)   While pharmacies reduced demand on GP services, this had caused an increase in the volume and acuity of patients presenting at pharmacies. 

n)    It had been disappointing that another PNA had revealed a pharmaceutical deficit in Barne Barton. This was primarily due to financial viability, with previous pharmacy applications left to expire.

o)    NHS England tended not to be proactive in encouraging applications for community pharmacies however, from 1 April 2023, commissioning of pharmacy services would be handed over to local Integrated Care Boards (ICB).

p)    Pharmacy staff are required to complete compulsory professional development and structured training programmes to demonstrate competency and keep up to date with the latest medical developments.

The Board thanked Rob Nelder and all involved in the creation of the PNA and agreed-

1)    To formally accept the Plymouth Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment for 2022-2025;

2)    To the Publication of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment on the Health and Wellbeing Website;

3)    To recommend that ‘should there be any change to pharmacy provision in Plymouth, the Chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Board, and Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be informed, to allow consultation with NHS England/ the ICB.’