HC Deb 16 September 2003 vol 410 cc716-7
11. Dr. Doug Naysmith (Bristol, North-West)

If he will make a statement on the enhanced role that he plans for (a) nurse practitioners and (b) community pharmacists in the provision of health care. [129958]

The Minister of State, Department of Health (Ms Rosie Winterton)

Nurses and community pharmacists are central to our plans to modernise and improve access to high-quality NHS services. We have a comprehensive strategy to increase the numbers and skills of nurses, developing new roles such as nurse consultants, extending prescribing responsibilities for both professions and expanding the services that pharmacies provide.

Dr. Naysmith

I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of using the skills of those two professions much more effectively in the national health service. In the case of community pharmacy in particular, what plans does she have to encourage pharmacists to provide places for confidential consultations on their premises, which will go a long way to ensuring that patients are willing to seek the excellent advice that is available and that is currently underused?

Ms Winterton

My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue. There are a number of ways in which pharmacists can play a greater role in primary health care. In our vision for pharmacy, in the new contractual framework that we are designing and in our response to the recent Office of Fair Trading report, we are putting together a series of measures to give primary care trusts, too, the ability to talk with local pharmacists about commissioning services so that exactly that kind of project can be undertaken.

Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)

May I ask the Minister to add optometrists to the list of professions that she uses in that way? is it not sensible not only to use the skills of those professionals both pre-operatively and post-operatively in the management of patients, but to extend the use of those professionals, and particularly their high-street facilities, for minor diagnostic tests and screening?

Ms Winterton

There are a number of ways in which we can examine the roles of such professionals, especially through the delivery of primary and preventive health care. Obviously, we are considering closely how that may be done through community pharmacists, but the opportunity to consider other areas that could make exactly such a contribution is always open.