Betsi accused of ‘rushing to privatise’ hospital pharmacies:
HEALTH BOARD SAYS THE AIM IS TO MAKE THE SERVICE MORE EFFICIENT
PLANS are in the pipeline to set up community pharmacies in North Wales’ three hospitals in a bid to “free up staff for other duties.”
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said they are “exploring opportunities” to make the outpatient dispensing services at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd more efficient.
It involves working in partnership with community pharmacies to help “significantly reduce” the amount of time outpatients are currently having to wait.
Staff currently dispensing medicine would be free to carry out other duties, including improving dispensing services on wards and supporting patients in clinical areas such as Emergency Departments and Mental Health services, the health board has said.
But the changes have been met with anger by union members who described the move as “privatisation” and said it is an attempt to “undermine the public service ethos of the Welsh National Health Service.”
Unison has accused executives of “rushing into privatisation without considering alternatives” but BCUHB argue theirs is not a proposal to privatise their hospital pharmacies.
Unison say BCUHB have suggested an ‘outsource project team’ be created, comprised of 11 members of staff and two representatives. The union branded the move a “waste of money.”
Its head of health in Wales, Paul Summers, said: “Private companies have no place in the Welsh NHS.
“The collapse of Carillion shows the private sector doesn’t always know best and it is not more efficient than the public sector.
“Patient needs will not be the first priority for private companies focused on generating a profit, and privatising pharmacies could open the way to wholesale privatisations of other NHS Wales services.
“Unison wants to work with health boards to see how patient services can be improved.
“The sensible way forward is for pharmacies to be retained inhouse and to recruit more dispensing staff.
“If health boards say they need more money to prevent privatisation of pharmacies, we will work together with them and the Welsh health secretary to jointly lobby the UK government.”
A Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesman said: “We are in the early stages of exploring opportunities to work in partnership with community pharmacies to provide outpatient prescription dispensing services within our main hospitals.
“This is not a proposal to privatise our hospital pharmacies.
“Community pharmacies are a key part of the NHS, providing services to patients in all of our communities, every day.
“Outpatient dispensing services are currently provided by staff working in our hospital pharmacies.
“By working in partnership with a community pharmacy we could free up staff to carry out other duties, including improving dispensing services on wards, and supporting patients in clinical areas such as emergency departments and mental health services.
“Currently, patients may have to wait a significant length of time for outpatient prescriptions.
“A dedicated outpatient dispensary, run by a partner who specialises in community pharmacy services, would significantly reduce waiting times and provide outpatients with a better overall experience.”
The spokesman added: “Any outpatient dispensing services provided by a community pharmacy would work in a similar way as our existing arrangements with high-street pharmacies.”