The barriers and opportunities involved in working collaboratively across different healthcare professions – including how pharmacists can work across the multidisciplinary team – have been explored during a House of Commons event.

The event was hosted by Watford MP Matt Turmaine, sponsored by Dr Bharat Shah of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, and chaired by Professor Mahendra Patel, pharmacy and inclusion and diversity lead at the Centre for Research Equity, University of Oxford.

Speaking on a panel of cross-professional Royal College representatives, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) chief executive Paul Bennet said that while the RPS had worked with other colleges like the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs), there was an 'awful lot more we could be doing'.

He suggested there were 'significant challenges to professional leadership bodies to [working] collaboratively', noting that system-wide issues needed to be addressed.

From the floor, Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), asked whether the government or NHS could do more to foster good working relationships between professions, including aligning different contracts.

Another panellist at the event, NHS Executive Wales allied health professions lead Kerrie Phipps, highlighted the multidisciplinary team framework in use in Wales, and suggested that training placements could take place in a multidisciplinary team setting to improve cross-professional working.

And Dame Donna Kinnair, former chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said that clinicians were well placed to solve the problems facing the NHS if only they were given time and space to do so.

Speaking to The Pharmacist after the event, contractor Salim Jetha commented that the underfunding of 'all healthcare professions... leads to competition rather than complementing each other'.
He said that for healthcare to collaborate, an overarching long-term plan across all settings was needed 'which allows sharing best practice, collaborate, reduce duplication and improve patient care'.

'Closer to home, the pharmacy sector need to collaborate with united vision and common goals. Only then we can effectively collaborate across the healthcare sector,' Mr Jetha added.

And he described the event as 'an eye opener'.

'The enthusiasm and care for patients was universal across the healthcare sector. This gives me great confidence that NHS can be fixed. Now we know the “why”, the next steps would be “how” we can work effectively together,' Mr Jetha said.

And he raised concerns about GPs 'not supporting Pharmacy First' and switching off GP Connect systems that allow community pharmacies to update patient records.

Other attendees at the event in the House of Commons included the chief pharmaceutical officer David Webb, representatives from Community Pharmacy England (CPE), patient representatives, and member of the parliamentary health and social care committee and Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham Ben Coleman.

As well as cross-sector working, the event also focused on the importance of professional leadership and integrating research into everyday practice.

Clear points about workforce wellbeing and tackling racism and discrimination within healthcare were also made.