The British Medical Association (BMA is reeling from a letter sent to GPs which claimed that Pharmacy First ‘undermines’ them and was a scheme that sees patients being seen by ‘less-skilled people’.
To make a stand, GPs were told to refer patients to A&E instead of pharmacies as commissioners are anxious not to see emergency departments ‘overwhelmed’.
“The implication that patients should deliberately use emergency departments for urgent care to overwhelm departments to make a point is at best professionally inappropriate and frankly dangerous to patients,” Samantha Allan, chief executive at NHS North East and North Cumbria, told The Times.
“I am appalled that a medical professional in a senior leadership position can advise a strategy which is proven to harm patients,” she said.
The BMA stressed the letter was ‘sent in error’ and ‘was not a BMA communication’.
However, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) chief executive Janet Morrison said she was ‘troubled by this combative approach’.
“The approach taken by these GPs suggests a total disregard for patients and for other health professionals, and does nothing to help resolve the ongoing crisis in the health service,” she said.
“As everyone in community pharmacy knows, Pharmacy First is supporting patients and helping to improve access to GP appointments – it is no surprise that the public wants to see pharmacies doing more services like this in the future.
“This is yet another example showing exactly why we need to see more coherent national commissioning of services which support collaboration between all healthcare professionals.”
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association, expressed his disappointment that people want to divert away from the success of Pharmacy First.
“It’s extremely disappointing if some senior figures in the BMA want to divert people away from the successful and popular Pharmacy First service. That would not help patients and fly in the face of everyone’s ambition to enhance access to neighbourhood health services for in our communities,” he said.
“We want to work with our colleagues across primary care including general practice to improve neighbourhood services for patients and ensure all healthcare professionals – including expert community pharmacists and general practitioners - work collaboratively to serve their communities.
“The Pharmacy First service is convenient, safe and effective for patients and works well in a greatly expanded form in Scotland, supporting GPs and other parts of the health service. We understand the pressure both community pharmacy and general practice faces but we won’t find solutions by pitting professional against professional.
“The future of primary care is inevitably going to involve everyone in primary care working together ever more closely, so it makes sense to put any differences aside in the interests of expanding and improving sustainable pharmacy and GP services for everyone.”
