§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on the difference between the level of services of pharmacists in the National Health Service and outside the service.
§ Mr. HayhoeI do not believe it is meaningful or practicable to compare the pharmacy service in National Health Service hospitals and elsewhere in this way.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what funds are being made available to attract more pharmacists into the National Health Service.
§ Mr. HayhoeProposals for substantial increases in the pay of basic and staff grade pharmacists have been made by the management side of the Pharmaceutical Whitley council, the cost of which, if accepted, will be met out of health authority allocations.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the effect on (i) patient services, (ii) control of drug expenditure and (iii) licensing of pharmacists, of the loss of pharmacists from the National Health Service.
§ Mr. HayhoeI have no information to demonstrate the relationship of staffing levels, staff recruitment or staff loss in the hospital pharmacy service to the three areas listed.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Pharmaceutical Society and the Pharmaceutical Whitley council on the loss of pharmacists from the National Health Service.
§ Mr. HayhoeI received a letter from the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain dated 9 October 1985. The letter raised a number of issues, including the staffing of the hospital pharmaceutical service, and I replied to it on 11 January 1986. I have not received, and would not expect to receive, representations from the pharmaceutical Whitley council. The management side of that council made revised proposals on 17 January about the pay of hospital pharmacists designed, amongst other things, to aid recruitment. These proposals are under consideration by the staff side.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake a review of the National Health Service pharmaceutical services.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo.