Elen Jones recognised for Welsh language innovation in pharmacy

Elen Jones, practice and policy lead for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Wales, was part of a team that has been recognised by the Welsh government for “Innovation in Health and Welsh Language”.

Jones, together with RPS members Laura Doyle and Wyn Davies, are part of the Welsh Language Scholarship and Education Network at Cardiff University’s college of Biomedical and Life Sciences. The network received the government award at a More Than Just Words showcase event, held in Cardiff on 3 October 2017.

‘More than just words’ is the Welsh government’s strategic framework to improve Welsh language services in healthcare and social services.

Jones, Doyle and Davies lecture at Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, focusing on Welsh language provision.

“We have been working hard to implement bilingual provision for pharmacy students”, Jones told The Pharmaceutical Journal. “We focus on the elements of the course that will impact most on patients: consultation skills; responding to symptoms; prescription counselling; and placements.

“We have developed a multidisciplinary network with the other health care schools in the university, including medicine and nursing, who are also implementing Welsh language provision for their disciplines. As a network we support each other and share best practice”.

Jones said that the school works closely with the RPS and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to ensure standards are maintained with the inclusion of Welsh.

“We have also worked with the Wales Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education (WCPPE) to develop Welsh language consultation skills packs and events to help increase the language skills and confidence of the current workforce.

“Our aim as a whole is to ensure that our future workforce is able to confidently and competently consult with patients in both English and Welsh, in line with the Welsh Government’s ‘More than just words’ initiative”.

Darren Hughes, GPhC Director for Wales, said: “We support efforts to incorporate the Welsh language in pharmacy education and training in Wales. We look forward to remaining in communication with the Cardiff School of Pharmacy about delivering the relevant parts of the curriculum in the Welsh language.”