SMF | SMF at the NHS Confederation Conference - Preventative healthcare and the role of pharmacies

SMF at the NHS Confederation Conference - Preventative healthcare and the role of pharmacies

Date: 8am-9am, Friday 12th June

Location: Jury's Inn, No. 31 Keel Wharf, Liverpool, L3 4FN (directly opposite the conference centre)

Speakers:
Jonathan Mason, National Clinical Director for Primary Care and Community Pharmacy, Department of Health
David Pruce, Head of Policy, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Sue Sharpe, Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee
David Furness, Health Project Leader, Social Market Foundation

Chair: tbc

The Social Market Foundation is holding an exclusive breakfast roundtable during the NHS Confederation Conference in Liverpool. Taking advantage of this gathering of key stakeholders we would like to discuss issues relating to preventative healthcare and in particular the role of pharmacies in delivering public health interventions.

The NHS has often been criticised for being an ‘illness' not a ‘wellness' service. Better at treating the sick than keeping people well, the health service has in recent years focused much more on prevention rather than cure. Some interventions have focused on improved screening, while public health campaigns have encouraged individuals to improve their lifestyles. The drift of health policy is towards much more investment in prevention, with a new range of services available to patients. This shift in emphasis is embodied in the Pharmacy White Paper. There is now scope for pharmacists to play a larger role in primary and preventative healthcare, and for commissioners to develop a range of innovative new services. This breakfast roundtable will focus on how to build on the Pharmacy White Paper, particularly in the context of the crisis in public finances.

Key questions to be debated will include:

Government has been pushing for a greater role for pharmacy, either through locally enhanced or other models, for some years now - what are the barriers to this?
How can commissioners work more effectively with pharmacy to develop new services? How can we target necessary public health interventions like flu vaccines at high risk groups?
What role is there for the private sector to help progress these reforms?
Can investment in prevention continue to be prioritised when public health budgets are under pressure?

Proceedings will open with remarks from senior stakeholders including David Pruce, Head of Policy at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Sue Sharpe, Chief Executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and David Furness, Health Project Leader at the Social Market Foundation.

Breakfast will be provided.

This event is being kindly supported by Novartis Vaccines.

Spaces at this event are limited so please respond quickly if you or an appropriate colleague would like to take part. To reserve a place please contact events@smf.co.uk or call Will Hoyles on 020 7227 4412.