Important Information for Action
Bevan House
Wavertree Technology Park
65 Stephenson Way
Wavertree
Merseyside
L13 1HN
Dear Pharmacy Contractor
Minor Ailments Service Development, New Treatment Protocols and Patient Group
Direction (PGD)
I am writing to all pharmacy contractors who provide a Minor Ailments Service in West
Cheshire to advise them of the addition of seven new level 1 plus treatment protocols and
one level 2 PGD.
The attached level 1 plus treatment protocols and level 2 PGD should be introduced by
community pharmacies as new conditions for treatment under the Minor Ailments Service by
17th November 2014, Self Care Week.
It is important that all members of staff and locums/relief pharmacists are aware of this service
development, therefore please could I ask you to print this letter, level 1 plus protocols and
PGD and other documents attached and urgently bring them, and the instructions for
implementation below to the attention of all staff who provide the Minor Ailments Service.
Self Care Week
Many of the practices in West Cheshire will be supporting Self Care Week (17 – 21st
November 2014) by holding patient events. Practices will be supplying information to patients
regarding the availability and treatments available to patients through the Minor Ailments
Service. We would therefore much appreciate the full implementation of the new treatment
protocols within all pharmacies in time for Self Care Week.
Level 1 Plus
A new category for the level 1 service “Level 1 Plus” has been introduced. This classification
will be applied to treatment protocols where a higher level of professional and clinical
knowledge may be required. The seven new level 1 treatment protocols have been
categorised as Level 1 Plus. Consultations for level 1 Plus treatments may only be carried
out by a pharmacist.
Pharmacists already accredited to provide a level 1 service by self-declaration should review
the new Level 1 Plus treatment protocols and provide consultations strictly according to the
protocol and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Locum/relief pharmacists not accredited to provide a level 1 service should review the new
level 1 plus and level 1 protocols and complete a Self-Declaration of Competence form (found
in the Service Specification V1.0 issue date November 2013) to be retained in branch.
Registered Technicians may still be accredited to provide level 1 consultations but will not be
able to provide Level 1 Plus consultations.
The Level 1 and level 1 plus service should be available to patients 100% of the time that the
pharmacy is open.
Level 2 PGD
Pharmacists providing level 2 services in West Cheshire are required to be named on a
provider list.
HAG accredited Pharmacists who are named on the provider list and whose certificate
Working Smarter for Better Health
remains in date should read the PGD for Impetigo and if confident that they are competent to
provide a consultation under the PGD should complete and return the attached declaration.
HAG accredited Pharmacists should not provide treatment under the PGD until they have
returned their self-declaration. Pharmacists who do so will not be recognised by the
commissioner as an accredited provider for the provision of treatment under a PGD for
Impetigo.
Pharmacists whose HAG accreditation has date expired or will date expire before 31st
December 2014 please refer to the attached re accreditation information.
Pharmacists who are waiting for accreditation please contact me by email for details of
the accreditation process.
Consultation form
Electronic and hard copy consultation forms will be updated and available on your Webstar
MAS module from week beginning 3rd November 2014. Pharmacies using hard copy forms
please ensure that new forms are available for from 17th November 2014.
Electronic Documentation
Copies of all current protocols, PGDs, declaration forms and service documentation can be
found in the materials section of your Webstar Service Pact module www.servicepact.co.uk or
the Community Pharmacy Cheshire and Wirral LPC website www.cpcw.org.uk (services,
commissioned Cheshire West and Chester, Clinical Commissioning Group).
Hard Copy Minor Ailments Service Information Pack
Please can you update your branch information pack with a copy of the level 1 Plus protocols
and PGD to ensure the pack remains current.
Patient Referral Form
Please may I take this opportunity to remind pharmacies of the referral form designed to
improve communication and misunderstanding between the pharmacy and the GP practice
where a patient presenting at the pharmacy for a Minor Ailments Consultation has been found
unsuitable for treatment under the pharmacy service.
Where the pharmacy is unable to treat the patient under the Minor Ailments Service please
complete and hand this form to the patient with the instruction to hand the form to the GP
when they attend for their appointment.
A copy of the updated form can be found in the materials section of your MAS Service Pact
module. Please print a copy to be used as a template in branch.
Please can I also request that all the pharmacy team and locum/relief pharmacists are made
aware of and consistently use the referral form where appropriate.
Finally, thank you for your co-operation and continued support for the Minor Ailments Service.
If you have any questions about the contents of this letter or the Minor Ailments Service please
do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours Sincerely
Marilyn
Marilyn Knass
West Cheshire Minor Ailments Service Manager
Email marilyn.knass@nhs.net
Tel:07977598755
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