The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIM), the Company Chemists Association (CCA) and the NPA and PSNC Regional Representatives have appointed their representatives to the new community pharmacy Review Steering Group (RSG).

The RSG was proposed by PSNC as a group to oversee progress on work to strengthen community pharmacy contractor support and representation, as provided by LPCs and PSNC.

Following an independent review into this topic, PSNC Chief Executive Simon Dukes consulted with LPCs on draft Terms of Reference for a group who could further explore the findings of that independent review. AIM, CCA and the NPA and PSNC Regional Representatives were then asked to select representatives to form the group.

PSNC asked that members of the RSG were chosen fairly and transparently, and stressed that the group must keep contractors at the heart of this work and reflect and represent the diversity of views and businesses within our sector. LPCs were keen that the group heard from new voices.

The members of the RSG who have been appointed by the three groups of pharmacy representatives are:

• Peter Cattee (AIM)
• Sandeep Dhami (AIM)
• Sam Fisher (CCA)
• Tricia Kennerley (CCA)
• Adrian Price (CCA)
• Stephen Thomas (CCA)
• David Broome (independent)
• Mark Burdon (independent)
• Mike Hewitson (independent)
• Aneet Kapoor (independent)

The RSG will be convened by PSNC Chair Sue Killen who will act as an independent facilitator and will not have a vote on the group.

The RSG is expected to convene later this year: it will have some urgent early priorities to address such as its contractor engagement plan, governance arrangements, and priorities for commissioning work and task groups. Contractors can expect an update early in 2021.

AIM commented:

“As an organisation AIM looks forward to playing its part in fully engaging with the Independent Multiple sector to seek their views on the Wright Review’s proposals. Our two representatives on the Steering Group are a conduit for those views and will welcome any and all contact and opinions from contractors.”

The CCA commented:

“The CCA and its members have always been fully supportive of this review process and are now very pleased to have the opportunity to continue providing their support, through the Review Steering Group.”

The NPA and PSNC Regional Representatives commented:

“Given the importance of this review to the sector, and the role of the RSG, we have voted to appoint people who we believe have the skills, experience and political expertise to be really effective advocates for independents. We are pleased to include an independent LPC Chair. Thank you to everyone else who contacted us about being involved: we look forward to hearing views and ideas from you and from across the independent sector as the RSG takes forward its work.”

Further Information on the Review Steering Group

The Review Steering Group’s role will be to oversee work exploring the findings of the independent review in more detail and to come up with a workable proposal for the sector. The RSG will need to commission work to help it to do this – this will be through working and engagement groups made up of wider groups of people from across the sector, and possibly using external experts and consultants.

The RSG is being funded initially by PSNC.

Critically, the Group will not be a decision-making body – it will be for all contractors to decide whether or not they want to accept whatever the RSG proposes to them.

PSNC’s proposal for the RSG also stressed the critical need for the group to fully engage contractors in the next steps of this work – the group will need a comprehensive communications plan, and PSNC expects it to update contractors via webinars on a regular basis.

You can read more about the RSG here.