Carol Roberts
I BELIEVE Pharmacists should be at the forefront of patient care. Promoting healthy living and medicines optimisation brings a new emphasis, empowering patients, focussing on patient experience and good health outcomes. It engages the public and all healthcare professionals, and must be placed at the heart of the quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) agenda. Better use of medicines and individualising patient care to meet their needs improves quality and safety of care in a cost-effective manner.
Having been registered for over 30 years, I have seen many changes in the profession and my experience in hospital, community pharmacy, primary care, NHS England and in developing PrescQIPP gives me a broad perspective.
We are practising at a very exciting and challenging time that will offer new opportunities for pharmacists. In my view, as a profession never before have we, as pharmacists, had such a mandate to deliver change and I believe we can make a real difference in the future.
The English Pharmacy Board continues to ensure that the profession’s voice is heard by government, other healthcare professionals and the public. If elected, I would relish the opportunity to be part of this team which, not only leading pharmacy at a strategic level, but also supporting the profession to deliver new services and ways of working.
I hope I can have your support in these elections. If elected I will dedicate myself to further the work of the Board, never forgetting that the Board represents an extraordinary mix of pharmacists with diverse strengths, experience and expertise. I strongly believe that whatever sector we work in, at heart we are all pharmacists with the same fundamental principles of professionalism that put the patient at the forefront in all that we do.
I believe that action is required to realise the real opportunity, and throughout my career I have demonstrated my focus on getting results through positive, constructive and affirmative action. If you vote for me I will take this opportunity and make a difference with it.
Carol Roberts is Head of Governance at NHS England, and is standing for election to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board
Follow Carol @carol_roberts2
I agree that pharmacists have a role to play in patient centred care but always remembering that in these days of health and social care integration that they are part of the team caring for a patient. An important part. Trying to make this work better for the patient requires God teamwork, collaboration, shared record keeping etc all worthy and all being worked on and explored. But as you say don’t forget the pharmacist!!