Do I detect a change?

Do I detect a change in Lambeth?

For the first time in fifteen years I’m starting to receive potentially useful information from the RPSGB ahead of the event. The email that was sent around on Wednesday alerting members to the results of the recent Which mystery shopper expose was timely and I’m sure allowed members to arm themselves ahead of the inevitable comments from patients, customers and smiling GP’s!

After receiving the email I began to think that maybe the Society is last last, listening to its members and beginning to change… I only hope so. As a result of this sniff of change, I decided to start a blog on the Transcom site to try and inform the Transcom members about the hopes, fears and wishes of the 36% of pharmacists who work as either locums or relief pharmacists.

Let me start my comments by stating my long term aim of the profession of pharmacy particularly pertaining to community pharmacy as I admit that I don’t know enough about hospital locuming to comment usefully.

My hope and I believe only hope of fully realising the potential of pharmacists,is to allow pharmacists to become independent of all employers and instead contract directly with the NHS. In the same way that the vast majority of GP’s are in fact self-employed and contract their services to the NHS, I believe that the NHS will only derive maximum benefit from pharmacists if they contract directly with them. In this way local PCO’s could insentivise pharmacists to deliver real change to local communities and target resources to areas with particular needs and shortages.

I’ve worked for the multiples and independents and fully understand that both are primarily businesses one who’s prime driver is to deliver maximum benefits for it’s shareholders and the other to deliver maximum business and personal benefits for it’s owners. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either model but both will stop pharmacists making a real difference to the health of the nation.

My alternative model would allow contractors to engage the services of a particular pharmacist in a given location. That pharmacists will be paid by the NHS and derive the benefits of an NHS pension etc. The contractor would still benefit in the same way from the professional services delivered by the pharmacists but it takes away completely the commercial aspects of the pharmacists job. Additional monies could be made available by PCO’s for the delivery of additional/enhanced services and the contractor would benefits from this cash injection. However the onus on delivering the services would fall on the NHS engaged pharmacist to use the facilities and deliver the changed that have been highlighted as a priority by the local PCO’s.

Could this model work? Absolutely and it already does. Locum pharmacists live and die by the service they provide. Their services are engaged by contractors (sometimes via agencies) on a ad hoc and sometimes on a long term basis. Contractors leave their business in the hands of a pharmacists they don’t employ and know that the professionalism of the individual means that their business is in safe hands.

I look forward to your comments.

Shaun is a Director of PL-UK Recruitment Ltd – a respected provider of pharmacy jobs, both permanent and locum.

Exciting developments at The Pharmacy Jobs Blog

I have been a bit quiet lately on the blogging front but I’d like to assure you that during this time I have been working feverishly to bring locum pharmacists and technician a whole new service that I think they will love.  ….more details to follow next week!

Hospital Locum required in Glasgow

I know can be a thin on the ground in the Glasgow so I thought I’d add this particular job to the blog. We are looking for a clinically minded pharmacists to work from October 2008 in one of the cities main hospitals. The ideal candidate would have hospital experience and the perfect candidate would also have experience dealing with surgical wards/theatres. If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to find out more or you know someone who might be interested please call me on 0800 8818844 for more information.

Shaun is a Director of PL-UK Recruitment Ltd – a respected provider of pharmacy jobs, both permanent and locum.

Why are agencies seen as the bad boys?

It’s always puzzled me when I visit sites like the pharmacy forum that pharmacists see locum agencies as the enemy and responsible for lowering their hourly rates.

Why would they do that?

As an agency owner and founder it makes absolutely no sense for me to suppress locum rates, quite the opposite in fact. I know that locum coordinators only come to agencies as a last resort after exhausting all other avenues in their attempt to avoid the dreaded agency fees. Why then should I suppress my locum’s rates? Agencies are in a position to negotiate much better rates for locum pharmacists because they are the last resort. If you agency does suppress your rates leave them and give PL-UK a ring on 0800 8818844!

Shaun is a Director of PL-UK Recruitment Ltd – a respected provider of pharmacy jobs, both permanent and locum.

Apologies!

Where does all the time go! I just realised that I haven’t posted a for while so I thought that I’d let you know how things are going. Bust is the quick and accurate answer. We are know on the shortlist for NHS PASA approved agencies. This will mean that we will be able to officially supply to all NHS Trusts across the country and I believe, if we are successful, that we will be the only specialist pharmacy jobs agency on the approved list.

I have to go over to Chester on Tuesday for a meeting regarding the approved list so I’ll let you know more after that. In the meantime, and to prepare up for acceptance on to the lst (finger’s crossed!) if you could pass on the message to any hospital locums, both pharmacist and pharm tech that we are looking for hospital specialists, I’d be eternally grateful!

Shaun is a Director of PL-UK Ltd – a respected provider of pharmacy jobs, both permanent and locum.