Introduction and Background
NHS England, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), alongside the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) published a ‘Joint national plan for Inclusive Pharmacy Practice (IPP)’ in England in March 2021.
IPP focuses on embedding inclusive pharmacy professional practice into everyday care for patients and members of the public to support the prevention of ill-health and address health inequalities within our diverse communities. This includes making the workplace more inclusive for pharmacy professionals, with senior leadership that reflects our workforce and diverse communities.
It involves open conversations and meaningful actions to improve the experience of both patients and pharmacy professionals. IPP is about engaging with local communities, helping to improve their health, and addressing the inequalities that people, particularly those from ethnically diverse backgrounds, can experience. For example, COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
South West Inclusive Pharmacy Practice Group
The South West Inclusive Pharmacy Practice (IPP) Group exists to support the practical implementation of the Joint National Plan for Inclusive Pharmacy Practice across the region. It aims to promote inclusive, culturally competent pharmacy practice that improves workforce experience, addresses health inequalities, and contributes to equitable patient outcomes.
1. Objectives
The group has been established to:
- Support pharmacy leaders and organisations in embedding the principles of inclusive pharmacy practice.
- Promote the adoption and use of the South West IPP Manifesto as a benchmark for local action.
- Share best practice, tools, and resources to support inclusive leadership and workforce development.
- Provide a forum for discussion, peer support, and collaboration across systems and sectors.
- Review and monitor progress against agreed outcomes, using data and feedback to guide future action.
- Champion inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice across pharmacy services in the region.
- Support evaluation and impact assessment, including on patient experience and health inequalities.
2. Scope
The group focusses on:
- Workforce inclusion and leadership diversity within pharmacy.
- Cultural competence and its role in addressing population health inequalities.
- Implementation of local actions aligned to the South West IPP Manifesto and NHS EDI Improvement Plan.
- Sharing insight and feedback from pharmacy staff and local communities.
Co-Chairs
Bisola Sonoiki
Ellen Williams
Director of Regional Pharmacy Training, PWDS
ellen.Williams2@uhbw.nhs.uk
PWDS Representative
Caroline Murphy
Training Programme Director, PWDS
Caroline.Murphy@uhbw.nhs.uk
For more information please contact Ellen, Bisola or Caroline, or drop an email to pwds@uhbw.nhs.uk who will connect you with a member of the SW IPP group.
The South West IPP Manifesto
Purpose
The SW IP Manifesto has been developed to support employers and leaders across the region with the practical implementation of the principles set out in the national IPP plan. The manifesto aligns with the wider SW Inclusion Strategy and the NHS equality, diversity, and inclusion improvement plan and provides a set of principles and recommendations for Pharmacies and Pharmacy Departments in the SW to benchmark against and to support pharmacy leaders to meet their commitment to the principles.
Developing culturally sensitive and competent healthcare teams is vital to reducing health inequalities within our communities, preventing ill-health, increasing vaccine uptake and protection from serious disease, and managing long-term conditions which are often of higher prevalence in Black, Asian and
Minority Ethnic communities for example.
This manifesto has been designed with a focus on developing inclusive pharmacy practice within the pharmacy workforce and its leadership in the first instance. A further piece of work exploring the impact and potential of the implementation of the manifesto on reducing health inequalities within our SW communities is planned at a later stage.
The recommendations set out within the manifesto will support employers to:
- Create a culture where our people feel valued, heard, and able to be their best selves at work.
- Develop our leaders to be compassionate and inclusive in all they do.
- Recruit, develop, and retain a diverse workforce to ensure equitable representation
- Support the creation of diverse leadership in Pharmacy that is reflective of our workforce and the populations we serve.
- Improve staff experience across all protected characteristics to ensure the South West NHS is the best place to work.
- Align with the requirements of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Summary of the SW IPP Manifesto
Hear from members of our group across the South West as they share their personal reflections on Inclusive Pharmacy Practice and its role in shaping a stronger, more inclusive pharmacy workforce 🎦