Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee

Information Governance

All NHS providers, including community pharmacies need to provide information governance assurances to the NHS on an annual basis. These assurances are provided through completion of an online assessment tool, the NHS Information Governance Toolkit. The deadline for submitting the 2011/12 return is the 31st March 2012.

There are no significant changes to the information governance requirements in 2011/12. The Department of Health has confirmed that pharmacies are exempted from completing requirement 9-319 (business continuity planning) in 2011/12 whilst discussions continue between PSNC and the Department of Health.

Pharmacies are expected to attain Level 2 against each of the pharmacy information governance requirements. Whilst optional, it is not mandatory for pharmacies to have evidence to comply with the Level 3 requirements. The detail of the requirements can be found in the NHS Information Governance Toolkit.

Changes have recently been made to improve the usability of the Toolkit:

Any scores, evidence and comments entered into a pharmacy's 2010/11 (version 8) assessment will automatically be rolled over to the 2011/12 (Version 9) assessment. There is still a need to tick to confirm that scores, evidence and comments have been reviewed and to update the information entered where necessary.
Head Office staff members can now centrally view the submissions of individual stores through a central log-in. To access this functionality, contact the Helpdesk (0845 3713671) with the name and address of the pharmacy head office.

Note, these requirements apply to England only. Different arrangements apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Guidance on the Requirements

The requirements change annually. A contractor workbook was published in 2009/10. This should be read in conjunction with an update published in 2010/11. There are no further changes to the requirements in 2011/12. Click on the links below to access these resources:

Workbook

2009/10 Pharmacy Contractor IG Workbook (PDF File)

Hardcopies copies are available on request (while stocks last) from info@psnc.org.uk.

2010/11 IG Update (PDF File)

Hardcopies of this resource are no longer available.

Guidance on using the Online Toolkit

Click on the link below to access a user guide to the online toolkit.

Pharmacy User Guide to the Toolkit

Technical support in using the Toolkit including obtaining access rights and password re-sets can be obtained from the Exeter Helpdesk (Exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net or 0845 3713671).

Templates & Tools

Comprehensive guidance and tools have been developed to support meeting the requirements including template policies, standard operating procedures and patient information material. Click here to access them.

FAQs

Click here to access a range of FAQs.

Training

All staff working in pharmacies that have access to personal information about patients must undertake basic training on Information Governance. Click here for more information on the training options.

Funding

As part of the 2009/10 community pharmacy contractual framework funding settlement, the DH and PSNC agreed an allocation of £23 million of funding to support the implementation of the Information Governance requirements. This equates to over £2000 for the average pharmacy contractor. This was paid out through the general funding arrangements rather than via a specific fee.

PSNC is currently in discussion with the Department of Health to finalise the funding allocation for business continuity planning. To date £12m has been allowed. As with the Information Governance funding, this was paid out through the general funding arrangements rather than via a specific fee.

There are also ongoing costs, in maintaining compliance with the requirements, making annual Information Governance returns via the Toolkit and implementing changes made to the requirements by the NHS. As part of the funding arrangements for the national contractual framework, annual adjustments are made to pharmacy funding to reflect costs necessitated by significant additional regulatory burdens on contractors. Regulatory burdens are assessed on a retrospective basis. PSNC will be negotiating with the Department of Health on funding to cover ongoing costs.

Queries

Pharmacies can obtain support with queries linked to the NHS Information Governance Toolkit from the Exeter Helpdesk (exeter.helpdesk@nhs.net or 0845 3713671). The Exeter Helpdesk will be able to support pharmacies with the day-to-day administration of their account on the Information Governance Toolkit, for example re-setting forgotten passwords and can provide technical support in using the Toolkit. (Note the DH Informatics Helpdesk pharmacy query email mailbox (pharmacy.assurance@nhs.net) has now closed.

Pharmacy contractors can continue to obtain general support on the IG requirements, by phone or email, from the PSNC Information Team (0844 381 4180 or info@psnc.org.uk).

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