Dave Thompson MSP

A palliative care partnership set up one year ago has been visited by Dave Thompson MSP, who praised the scheme’s ongoing support to patients suffering life limiting conditions.

The innovative partnership, the first of its kind in rural Scotland, was set up in February 2013. NHS Highland secured funding from Macmillan Cancer Support for the post and chose to partner with Boots UK.

Cancer is often the toughest fight many people will face. In 2009, Boots UK and Macmillan entered into a long-term partnership with the ambition of giving everyone, wherever they are in the UK, access to the best cancer information and support in their local community.

Patients with life limiting conditions on Skye have direct access to a specially trained pharmacist available in the Boots UK store in Portree. Working alongside health and social care professionals, Macmillan Palliative Care Rural Pharmacist Practitioner, Gill Harrington advises on different medicine choices and different ways of giving medicines if people cannot swallow tablets or capsules.

To support this close working relationship, Gill also visits patients at the local care homes on a regular basis and both community hospitals on the island, giving pharmaceutical care guidance to the nurses who otherwise would have no input from pharmacy professionals.

In addition, a new drop-in clinic started in September 2013 for patients and carers to access advice and information on life limiting conditions. This allows for treatment in the community and reduces the need for hospital admissions.

Researchers from the University of Strathclyde are working with the project partners to develop the new service and will be asking patients, carers and  healthcare and social care professionals, about what they think is needed so that the service can be tailored to local needs.

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Badenoch and Strathspey visited the team on Saturday 1 March 2014 to learn more about how the partnership is making a difference to the local community. He said: “Having a healthcare system that is able to work together to meet the needs of the local community is vital, especially so in an area as rural as Skye where local access is very important.

“Meeting Gill and the rest of the team gave me a real insight into this fantastic partnership, which is supporting patients and families through what is a very traumatic time.

Fiona Macfarlane, Healthcare Development Manager at Boots UK, said: “Since this post was established last year, we’ve helped lots of people suffering from life limiting conditions that have physical as well as emotional symptoms. What makes this partnership important is not just the prescription advice Gill is able to offer patients but the role she plays in providing training to other health and social care professionals in the area, and the way in which she acts as a source of information to sign post people to other services that they may benefit from.

“Community pharmacy has an important part to play in helping to alleviate the strain on the NHS in Scotland by providing community-based services.  Boots UK is always keen to work in partnership with other care providers to ensure patients and customers can access the best possible care in a location that is convenient to them.

Gill Harrington, Macmillan Palliative Care Rural Practitioner Community Pharmacist, said “I’ve been delighted to take on the role of providing this service which has made such a difference to the lives of patients and families within the local community. Having the ability to travel to visit patients in their own homes and to build close relationships with those we are caring for really helps me to understand individual needs and offer advice that can assist in treating the physical and emotional aspects of palliative care.

“Despite the initiative being under a year old, the benefits of working in partnership with Boots UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and NHS Highland is already clear to see.

Joanne Adamson, Macmillan Development Manager said: “We know from research that pharmacists are one of the most trusted professions in the UK and access to the right information and support at the right time can have a positive impact on those affected by cancer and life limiting illnesses. By working with NHS Highland and Boots UK and sharing our expertise, we believe we can reach even more people affected by cancer and other life limiting conditions and ensure that they, and their families, receive support and advice when they need it most.

Alison MacRobbie, NHS Highland’s Macmillan Palliative and Community Care Pharmacist, said: “Gill has been doing a fantastic job in helping patients get the care and advice they need regardless of where they find themselves, whether at home, in hospital or in a care home. Having the capacity to meet in a convenient location is something that is really appreciated. The introduction of the drop-in clinic last September, offering advice and information about the medicines patients use, has proved to be a useful addition to the service, with many people dropping-in to ask questions about medicine use and other means of support.

“Pharmacists are experts in medicines, and having that level of expertise accessible in your local high street is vital for the wellbeing of these rural communities."

Notes:

About Boots UK

Boots UK is the leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer in the UK, with close to 2,500 Boots UK stores and around 60,000 employees. Boots UK’s purpose is to help customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible. Customers are at the heart of our business which is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare, offer innovative products 'only at Boots' such as the UK’s leading skincare brand No7, all delivered with the great value our customers love. Created over 160 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.

Boots UK is a member of Alliance Boots, a leading international, pharmacy-led health and beauty group delivering a range of products and services to customers. Working in close partnership with manufacturers and pharmacists, Alliance Boots is committed to improving health in the local communities it serves and helping its customers and patients to look and feel their best. Its focus is on growing its two core businesses: pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution. Alliance Boots has a presence in more than 25* countries and employs over 108,000* people. Alliance Boots has pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in nine* countries and operates more than 3,100* health and beauty retail stores, of which just over 3,000* have a pharmacy.

*Figures are approximate as at 31 March 2013 and include associates and joint ventures.

About Macmillan Cancer Support

Cancer is the toughest fight most of us will ever face. But you don’t have to go through it alone.  The Macmillan team is with you every step of the way.

We are the nurses and therapists helping you through treatment. The experts on the end of the phone. The advisers telling you which benefits you’re entitled to. The volunteers giving you a hand with the everyday things. The campaigners improving cancer care. The fundraisers who make it all possible.

About the Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK partnership

Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK are working together to improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer.  Through the partnership, Boots UK is introducing bespoke training for its pharmacists, healthcare colleagues and No7 advisors to help deliver more ways for people affected by cancer to get information and support on the high street, in local communities and online.