§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts have antibiotic pharmacists in post; and what the cost is in each case. [145044]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is not collected centrally.
§ Brian CotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis it was decided that a threshold of 15,000 square metres should be used to determine which shopping developments should be exempt from full entry requirements in relation to his Department"s proposals for the deregulation of pharmacy services. [145228]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe object in choosing shopping developments of 15,000 square metres or more was to include developments which currently attract many consumers but which may have limited retail pharmacy provision.
If a development provides relatively self-contained facilities (that is, shoppers visit retail outlets in that development but tend not to venture into adjacent local neighbourhoods) the current Regulations impose restrictions on competition and access to national health service services by people choosing to visit the development.
Exempting such pharmacies will offer the prospect of immediate improvements in access to pharmaceutical services at a time and place which patients and consumers choose with the impact—if any—on existing pharmacies diluted over a wide geographic area.
The consultation document, "Proposals to Reform and Modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992", was published on 29 August 2003, with the consultation period running until 21 November 205W 2003. An advisory group has been set up to consider how best to implement the reforms. The group is currently reviewing the responses to the consultation and is due to report to Ministers shortly.