Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) letter
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The Chair of Healthwatch North Tyneside (HWNT) wrote a letter to the Health and Wellbeing Board summarising HWNT Board's response to the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) Draft.
The letter states that local people's views gathered by HWNT have been accurately reflected in the PNA and HWNT agrees with the conclusion in the PNA that the provision of pharmaceutical services across North Tyneside is adequate whilst recognising there are variances between localities.
The letter also re-emphasises 3 issues which are out of scope of the PNA but need to be addressed:
1. Awareness and uptake of certain services (e.g. sexual health testing, flu vaccination) needs to be investigated by commissioners in order to increase access and reduce pressure on primary and secondary care.
2. Quality of pharmaceutical services should be measured using patient experience measures and indicators. HWNT will be requesting a response from NHS England on how it intends to ensure this will take place.
3. Medicine shortages continue which cause inconvenience and safety risks. HWNT recommends the Health and Wellbeing Board and its Overview and Scrutiny Sub- Committee consider formally noting the concerns and acting where appropriate.