Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer. 

SUMMARY

  • A total Foundation Training Year (FTY) grant of £24,904 is available to each contractor for each student, who will be commencing their placement from July 2021. This will be subject to the regulatory requirements of the Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) being met.
  • The grant will include a salary of £19,404 for each foundation year trainee, which is an increase of £1,404 per student from last year. The remaining £5,500 grant should be paid to individual contractors to include a protected employer specific, funding allocation per placement, to cover training and employer costs associated with each placement.
  • These amounts should be reduced proportionately in respect of part-year placements.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contact CPNI colleagues if you have any further queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

FULLY VACCINATED HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE STAFF TOLD TO SELF ISOLATE AS A CLOSE CONTACT MAY BE PERMITTED TO ATTEND WORK IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Dear Colleague

Following CPNI representations over recent weeks Community Pharmacy staff are included in list of Health and Social Care workers that may be permitted to attend work, in exceptional circumstances, where they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have been advised to self-isolate. Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY AND ACTION POINTS

Fully vaccinated Health and Social Care workers who have been told to self-isolate as a close contact will be permitted to attend work in exceptional circumstances. This may only occur in exceptional circumstances following a risk assessment carried out by a suitably competent and authorised manager in the organisation and when additional mitigations can be upheld.

These include: 

  • The staff member should undertake a PCR test as soon as possible and must isolate until they receive the result. They should only be permitted to attend work if this result is negative. Providers should ensure that arrangements are in place to document the date and result of the PCR test.
  • The staff member should undertake daily LFD tests for 10 days following the last contact with the COVID case. Tests should be taken prior to leaving for work each day. 
  • Test results should be reported via the DHSC web portal and to their duty manager / trust. A staff member who has a positive LFD test during this period should not attend work and should isolate and arrange a PCR test as soon as possible. 
  • The staff member should be given information about COVID symptoms and asked to self-check for symptoms every day. If the staff member develops any COVID symptoms they should stay at home and immediately arrange a PCR test. 
  • Staff working during this period should comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE should be properly worn throughout the day. Any breaches should be reported immediately to their line manager. 
  • The staff member should not work with clinically extremely vulnerable patients, as determined by the organisation. 
  • It is recommended that the staff member should not take breaks or eat meals with other staff as face coverings are removed and it may be difficult to ensure distancing in less formal settings. In limited circumstances where separate arrangements cannot be facilitated, staff must adhere strictly to social distancing requirements and also ensure full adherence to all IPC and PPE requirements. 
  • They can only leave their place of self-isolation to undertake work activities, including travel to and from work. They can travel to work by their normal route but should wear a face covering for their journey if within an enclosed space with other individuals. 
  • Outside of work activities, the individual must follow current advice for self isolation. 

Health and social care workers who are close contacts of a positive COVID case in their household are NOT eligible for exemption from isolation under this policy. Household contact presents a higher risk of transmission because of the prolonged and ongoing nature of the exposure.

You are asked to bring this letter to the attention of individuals with responsibility for staff management within your pharmacy(-ies) to ensure that current public health objectives are balanced with the need to provide important community pharmacy services to patients on behalf of the health service.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS 

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Mrs Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • Please see attached HERE a joint letter from the Department of Health NI Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the use of European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorised medicines in Northern Ireland and an anomaly linked with an amendment to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs).

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Prompt action is being taken to amend the legislation and the necessary corrections will come into force on the 3 August 2021.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride and Professor Charlotte McArdle.

SUMMARY

  • To reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, healthcare staff are required to 
  • wear PPE in line with national guidance. 
  • Wearing PPE in warm/hot environments increases the risk of heat stress. This occurs when the body is unable to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy temperature. Heat stress can cause heat exhaustion and lead to heat stroke if the person is unable to cool down. Occupational heat strain is associated with productivity loss and has an impact on the health of those affected.
  • Please be aware that an increase in demand for certain PPE items during warmer months due to staff changing equipment more frequently may be likely. 

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence containing relevant information and appropriate actions to manage the risk of Heat Stress while wearing Personal Protective Equipment (see Annex 1).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

SUMMARY

  • The COVID-19 PHE Guidance for maintaining services within Health and Care settings has been updated and can be found HERE.
  • No changes to the recommendations, including PPE, have been made in response to the new variant strains at this stage. The use of face masks along with social distancing and hand hygiene remain important actions for infection, prevention and control.
  • To ensure pharmacies use the most up-to-date re-order form for PPE please ensure staff access the re-order form available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are asked to fully implement the most up to date PHE maintenance guidance within your pharmacy.
  • Pharmacies are asked to email completed re-order forms to pharmPPEorders@hscni.net.
  • For further queries please contact the BSO Customer helpline 02895361301 first or your local HSCB Integrated Care office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist