Clause 29 - Pilot schemes
Health and Social Care Bill
9:30 am
Mr John Denham (Minister of State, Department of Health; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
Clause 29 is the first of 13 clauses dealing with local pharmaceutical services. It may be helpful if I briefly set out how those clauses relate to each other.
Clause 29 establishes a pilot scheme for a local pharmaceutical service. Clause 30 introduces schedule 2, which deals with the process by which health authorities develop pilot schemes and submit them for approval. Clauses 31 and 38 deal in different ways with the relationship between local pharmaceutical services pilot schemes and existing arrangements. Clause 32 deals with the review of pilot schemes, and clause 33 with their variation and termination. Clause 34 deals with the legal basis under which pilot scheme agreements can operate, while clause 35 makes provision for meeting preparatory costs.
Clause 36 deals with prescription charges, and clause 37 with the status of pilot schemes in relation to other NHS legislation. Clauses 39, 40 and schedule 3 deal with establishing local pharmaceutical services as a substantive and permanent part of NHS arrangements following the pilot stage. Clause 41 provides powers to make further provisions in relation to that.
Many of the provisions in those clauses are modelled directly—sometimes word for word—on the equivalent provisions for personal medical and dental services introduced under the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997. Local pharmaceutical services are a key element of our programme for pharmacy set out in ``Pharmacy in the Future'', which we published in September.
I think that the Committee may agree that, for too long, the NHS has underused the skills and expertise of pharmacists. ``Pharmacy in the Future'' demonstrates for the first time that the Government are committed to putting that right. Community pharmacies provide a necessary and well-valued service throughout the country. Studies have repeatedly shown that patient satisfaction with dispensing services is high. People have a growing recognition of what else community pharmacists can do, not least in helping people to deal with minor illnesses and make better use of their medicines.