Harrogate District Hospital and LloydsPharmacy have established a new partnership aiming to enhance on-site outpatient pharmacy services, which includes the opening of a brand new LloydsPharmacy dispensary on site.
The partnership has been developed to offer a more efficient and effective Outpatients Pharmacy service, allowing hospital pharmacy staff to spend more time on wards, supporting clinical teams and helping patients understand their medicinal needs.
Officially opening the pharmacy was Angela Schofield, Chairman of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, and Andrew Willetts, Healthcare Solutions Director, Lloyds Pharmacy.
The new Outpatients Pharmacy dispenses medicines for outpatients, including some cancer Chemocare and Emergency Department prescriptions.
LloydsPharmacy has a proven track record working with other NHS hospitals, successfully reducing outpatient prescription waiting times.
LloydsPharmacy staff have been trained to offer advice and efficiently dispense medicines. They also have access to specialist advice through the Trust’s wider pharmacy team on more complex issues involving medicine management and dosage interaction – ultimately reducing waiting times for patients with prescriptions.
The main pharmacy in the Fewston Wing of the hospital will remain, with pharmacy clinicians freed up to offer an even more patient-focused service throughout all stages of a patient’s hospital stay.
More pharmacy staff on wards ensures that patients receive a higher quality of care, with advice and support to help manage medicines independently, during their stay and when they return home. This can expedite the discharge process, allowing people to return to their homes quicker after treatment.
Andrew Alldred, Director of Pharmacy at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are passionate about providing high quality pharmacy services to our patients at the Trust.
“I’m delighted to have LloydsPharmacy on board. The partnership will significantly enhance the standard of our outpatients’ services for both patients and staff. The service has also allowed us to release some additional staff time to improve services for our inpatients.”
Commenting on the site opening, Ryan Smith, Healthcare Development Manager at LloydsPharmacy Healthcare Services, said: “We are passionate about enhancing patient experience and excited to be working collaboratively with the Trust to benefit patient satisfaction. Patients can seek advice from the pharmacist for a range of health needs from lifestyle to medication. We’re providing access to pharmacy services that promote better patient understanding of medicines, why they have been prescribed and how to take them more easily to get the most from them.”