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NHS England is offering fully funded training places to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in adult critical care units in England.
The UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) has been awarded a contract by NHS England to deliver 200 funded continuing professional development places for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from April 2024.
There are also 15 funded places available on an adult critical care training pathway for pharmacy technicians delivered by the University of Bradford and 100 funded places on a pharmacist adult critical care pathway to be delivered by another school of pharmacy, which has not yet been announced.
Training providers were invited to bid for the delivery of the training in November 2023, in response to evidence highlighting workforce concerns in critical care.
According to the NHS England Workforce, Education and Training website, the training “forms a part of the wider NHS England critical care workforce programme to ensure that, as part of the critical care workforce model, each unit has an advanced level pharmacist with the relevant competencies to work in this setting”.
Sarah Carter, chief executive at UKCPA, told The Pharmaceutical Journal she was “delighted that we have been successful in winning the contract with NHS England”.
“Participants attending our foundation modules will have exceptional access to the UK’s most expert critical care pharmacy practitioners, both through content and live interaction with expert individuals.
“Some elements are taught multi-professionally to reflect real practice and foster an understanding of roles and skills, whilst other elements are specific to each profession, allowing a more tailored approach,” she said.
Carter added that the training will include online sessions with experts; on-demand content; a face-to-face event to facilitate networking, consolidate clinical skills and provide ongoing access to more than 2,500 practitioners for peer support; and resources from 17 communities, including 450 practitioners working in critical care.
Commenting on the training pathway, Joseph Oakley, associate director of assessment and credentialing at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said: “As advocates for advancing pharmacy practice, we are pleased to hear this training will support pharmacy professionals to deliver high quality services in adult critical care.
“It has been clearly demonstrated how pharmacists working at advancing levels of practice are essential for high-quality services in critical care and result in improved patient care.”
The RPS collaborated with the UKCPA on developing draft advanced pharmacist curriculum in critical care, which is under consultation until 12 March 2024.
