Presentation to Hants LPC 17 th March 2016 A review of the functions of the LOC and LPC with regard to their future.

The focus of this presentation today What do we see as the future for LRC’s in general and how will this effect the way in which we work as am LOC/LPC? How locally the provision of enhanced services can be more seamless? Are pharmacy interested in being a referral centre for MECS in North Hants (and hopefully in other areas)?

LRC Meeting London October 2015 At present there is a gap between NHS England and the CCG’s in that there is no system of support for any practitioner. NHS England are therefore looking towards the representative bodies to see if they could provide this support service in the future. At present each of the representative bodies fulfills different roles. The LMC’s responsibilities are somewhat greater than those of the LOC at present They have a strategic responsilbilty, they investigate complaints made by one practitioner against another, they deal with dispute resolution,deal with referral of ill GP’s and offer a web based pastoral care system, a specialist practitioner health care system and a comprehensive Education zone. They also get involved with practice manager training, healthcare assistant training and run a locum bank attatched to the website. However they are not represented on performance committees and seen not to be able to support colleagues. The LDC’s for dentists are involved in local and national commissioning and clinical governance. They provide contract support for GDP’s in difficulties and have a mentoring capacity. They also have advice, support and information facilities and produce a newsletter and website with links to the LPNS and MCNS. 3LOC’s

So locally! It’s fair to say that most CCG’s in the South of England have been slow to take up the provision of enhanced services by any forum other than medicine due mainly to their reduced per head capita spend compared to better off areas in the North of England With the advent of the Vanguard sites this was supposed to readdress this and find ways of more seamless provision of services

Which brings me to the LPC LPC’s The federation of LPC’s provides a single point of contact with NHS England. They run an information website with all local pathways and contact details. In the beginning Pharmacy wasn’t represented on Vanguard sites but they approached the individual areas to get representation.(should we do the same?)

Current issues! Listening to Paul’s presentation to the LDC a few weeks ago we have in effect a change in the funding stream for pharmacy contractors of £170 million to pharmacies global fund 12%reduction to contractors a reduction of about1/4 network and yet you are encouraged to optimise use of medicines, support people to self care, support people to live healthier lives all of which are extremely worthwhile initiatives and which will save the NHS billions in long term costs-however how do you reconcile these two? Like you we feel valued on a local area basis but this does not seem to translate into a working national framework

Local representative Committees LOC’s like you represent contractors and performers where in that the General Ophthalmic Service contract is negociated centrally with NHS England and that enhanced services are commissioned locally with CCG’s.MECS/Glaucoma referral refinement. At present there is a gap between NHS England and the CCG’s in that there is no system of support for any practitioner. NHS England are therefore looking towards the representative bodies to see if they could provide this support service in the future This causes an issue for LOC’s as we are funded by our levy payers(our contractors) We are also represented on performance panels which causes some issues with whether we could offer a support service to struggling practitioners having been part of the events which probably led to their needing support. However to address this the centrally funded LOCSU has undertaken the training of a number of coaches and mentors formally to offer support services as required by local LOC’s