NEWS


ADDITIONAL £2M FOR AUTISM


Health Minister Simon Hamilton has announced that he will be investing an additional £2m per year in Autism Services to tackle waiting lists and improve access to support services.


“Since 2010 the number of referrals for Autism assessments has nearly doubled from 1,500 to 2,800 at the end of last year. Despite the hard work of many dedicated professionals, we are struggling to match pace with demand. Many children and young people are waiting more than thirteen weeks for an assessment. This is not acceptable and I am determined to get these waiting lists down,” he said.


“That is why I am announcing increased investment of an additional £2m for Autism services across Northern Ireland. This money will fund much needed new capacity to ensure there is quicker access to diagnostic services and that, crucially, there is more support for young people and their families.


“This new money will fund expanded teams in each Trust to improve assessment times, including clinical staff specifically trained in assessing Autism. In addition, these resources will be used to expand Autism specific support services, and improve access to wider services such as: Speech and Language Therapy, Community Paediatrics and Occupational Therapy.


“In tandem, I will continue to work with the Board and the Trusts to improve our processes and remodel our services to further drive down waiting lists and improve access to high quality services."


Demand for Autism assessments currently substantially outstrips capacity to provide diagnostic services. This £2m of new recurrent funding will be invested in Autism diagnostic and post diagnostic services from April 2016.


The new funding will be used to increase the capacity of the teams assessing young people in each of the Trusts; this will include recruiting clinical staff specially training in assessing Autism.


6 pharmacyinfocus.co.uk NI bid to increase European cancer survival by 70%


To mark World Cancer Day, scientists at Queen’s University are launching a Europe-wide initiative, ‘Vision 70:35’, to increase cancer survival to 70% by 2035.


Led by Professor Mark Lawler, from the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University Belfast and vice President European Cancer Concord (ECC), the initiative is in collaboration with the European Cancer Patient Coalition and other European partners.


Speaking ahead of the launch, Professor Lawler said, "vision 70:35 emphasises the scale of our ambition to improve cancer survival rates by an additional 20% over the next 20 years. We believe that this target is achievable, provided we share best practice and promote innovation and research across European nations and regions. It is further evidence of Queen’s University’s commitment to advancing knowledge and changing lives. We are actively addressing issues such as early diagnosis, equal access and the role of precision cancer medicine to achieve our 70:35 target”.


Margaret Grayson, Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Cancer Research


Consumer Forum added, "vision 70:35 is a patient focused initiative. It provides hope for our cancer patients and their loved ones, and emphasises how research can play a big part in improving cancer outcomes."


Professor Patrick Johnston, President and vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, said, “This 70:35 vision represents a significant opportunity to drive a European-wide initiative that champions the role of innovation and research in providing the best level of cancer care. I am delighted that Queen’s is continuing to provide leadership in an ambitious strategy that has the potential to deliver real benefits for all European citizens.”


vision 70:35 is the key implementation phase of the European Cancer Patient's Bill of Rights, a Queen’s University-led initiative which was launched in the European Parliament in Strasbourg in 2014.


In order to emphasise how working together can help improve cancer outcomes, a series of handshakes will be performed between partner organisations on World Cancer Day,


Professor Mark Lawler, from the Centre for Cancer


Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University Belfast


starting in London, passing through Brussels and a number of other European capital cities and culminating in a symbolic joining of hands by MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Professor Lawler will symbolically shake hands in Brussels with Professor Dominique de valeriola, Director of the Institute Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium and President, Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.


Cost of Service Investigation


The Northern Ireland CoSI Data Collection Phase has commenced, with PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) requesting CoSI Information Returns to be completed and returned online, on or before 18th March 2016.


The purpose of the Cost of Service Investigation (CoSI) is to determine the


costs incurred by community pharmacy contractors in providing pharmaceutical services for the Northern Ireland population.


The CoSI outcome will be used to inform negotiations and is an essential component required to establish fair and reasonable funding for the community pharmacy network.


Fundraising Focus


Pharmacy in Focus appeal to help the homeless in whatever way you can or feel appropriate.


Publisher Jason Andrews explains how readers can get involved. “I would appeal to the pharmacy community to get behind this fundraiser as we all can play an important role.


Homelessness in and around Belfast has been on the news lately and the deaths in our city have focused our thoughts.


We need to be careful however as to how the issues are tackled and addressed as it has been widely reported that a lot of foreign nationals, controlled by gangs, were begging on our streets over the busy Christmas period and were certainly not homeless.


Homelessness is about more than having a roof over your head, it is


about the loss of a lot of things that we all take for granted. For many it is a damaging and isolating experience. People unfortunately become and stay homeless for a whole range of complex and coinciding reasons.


Tackling homelessness is about much more than putting a roof over people's heads or giving them some change in a city centre doorway.


Many homeless people face a number of issues in addition to, but often compounded by, their homelessness. Isolation as well as the destructive nature of homelessness means that these people find it difficult to access the help they need.


I have spoken to a few pharmacy contractors who have been very supportive of the idea. A pharmacy owner friend recently popped into my office and donated £100 to get the


fund raising started. Anyone that I have floated the idea with have all agreed that we can share ideas and come up with positive solutions that will be an appropriate fit to pharmacy.


We feel local pharmacy owners and staff as well as suppliers and of course this magazine can play an important role and I would like to hear from anyone who is interested in helping.


This can be via donations of cash or supplies that can be used for emergency packs or indeed you may have some ideas on how we can work with local outreach groups through education and specific support services”.


If you would like to get involved please email info@profilepublishing.com or you can donate by visiting www.gofundme.com/pharmacyinfocus


To assist contractors in completing the (CoSI) information returns, PwC have prepared a list of questions and answers.


If you have a question or query that is not addressed in the list please contact the PwC CoSI team: Email: ni-cosi@uk.pwc.com Telephone: 02890 415 919


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