News
2004
29.11.04 - College of Mental Health Pharmacists Board election results
On behalf of the founder members and current council, many thanks to all who stood as candidates for the first CMHP Council of elected members. Thanks to all who voted.
Under the current constitution the five candidates with the most votes will make up the first Council. Those five successful candidates were (in alphabetical order):
- Kate Aveyard
- Celia Feetam
- Stuart Gill-Banham
- Cathy Mortimer
- Jane Riley
There were six voting papers which could not be counted. Thanks also to Denny for acting as returning officer for the election. Kate Aveyard
19.11.04 - UKPPG committe meeting on 19th November 2004. Your committee met in sunny Manchester, having fought their way through snow, roadworks, accidents and rain, with Graham N, Steve, Morag, Denise, Ian, Fiona, Denny, Justine, Michael and Robert present (apologies from Graham P, Gill H, David T, Kate Aveyard and Jane Riley). Topics included, in enormous brevity:
- Committee: welcome to Michael Marven
- Finance: Conference looking healthy, insurance for UKPPG laptops and equipment
- CMHP: elections for the new Board currently being done, voting finishes 29th November, results due soon afterwards
- Conference debrief: 10 pages of feedback were gone through in detail and a large number will be acted upon. Generally the sessions worked very well (Friday afternoon and Sunday morning average 3.5 out of 4), the PA problems noted (although to be fair to US and poor Bob, Wokefield had changed their PA system, we arrived to find a new system and no one to explain how it worked), better food, good balance of sessions and workshops
- Conference 2005: Based on suggestions from the feedback forms and the e-mail group, draft themes for Friday and Sunday were concocted and will be firmed up later on. Based on this, next year is provisionally dated 7-9th October 2005.
- Co-option - several people have expressed interest in being co-opted to fill the vacant post. The usual routine is to ask first those people who have stood for election in the past. GN to take further.
4.10.04 - Committee Elections for 2004 - 2007
Morag Martin, Stephen Bazire and Michael Marvin (Oxford) were elected at the AGM, but that still leaves one vacant place. Anyone who was considering standing for election could be co-opted for a year - a good way to get a feel before commiting yourself to three years on the committee.
30.9.04 - UKPPG committe meeting on 17th September 2004. Your committee met in sunny Norwich, with only Graham N, Graham P, Steve, Celia, Morag and Robert present. Topics included, in enormous brevity (and for what I can remember):
- Conference final workings (most of the meeting in fact)
- CMHP - has now reached 25 members, their Standards document has been circulated (but not widely), the next vivas are in November and elections for the new Board will be at the end of October.
- Bursaries were awarded to Ann Connolly and Ann Connors (I think I've got this right)
- The specification for the website upgrade will be sent out soon
- An Annual Helen Tennant Memorial Award will be commenced soon the the best Diploma student of the year, in honour of Norfolk pharmacist helen Tennant who died on 31.7.04 at the age of 33 (see here for her last conference participation.
- The OFT have enquired about matters surrounding clozapine
Committee Elections for 2004 - 2007
Nominations are requested from members of UKPPG who wish to stand for committee for the term October 2004 to October 2007. There are 4 places available on committee this year, as current committee members Steve Bazire, Wendy Davies, Celia Feetam and Morag Martin complete their current terms. If you are interested in standing for committee, please complete the attached form.
Where there are four or fewer nominations then an election will not be required. Where five or more nominations are received then a postal election will be held in accordance with the group's constitution.
If you have any queries about the work of the committee or the necessary commitment, then please contact Graham Newton, Robert Goff or any other committee member for an informal discussion. Contact details are on the committee pages of the web site: http://www.ukppg.org.uk/committee.html
The deadline for receipt of nominations by the Group Secretary is Monday 16th August. You may be aware that the constitution states the end of July as dead line, but in view of this late mailing the committee has agreed to extend this deadline.
31.5.04 - College of Mental health Pharmacists announces a Research Consultancy
See CMHP Research Consultancy for details.
24.5.04 - National Mental Health Awards Launched Today: The 2004 Lilly Reintegration Awards: recognising outstanding achievement in helping people with mental illness move their lives forward
Entries are now being accepted for the Lilly Reintegration Awards. The Awards, now in their sixth year, recognise and reward outstanding achievements made by individuals or groups in helping people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder overcome the barriers to reintegrating into society and move their lives forward.
The Awards have received wide spread support from organisations involved in the care of people with mental health disorders including Rethink, The Zito Trust, The Royal College of Nursing, the Mental Health Nurses Association and SANE. From this year the United Kingdom Psychiatric Pharmacy Group will also be supporting the Awards.
The closing date for the Lilly Reintegration Awards is Friday 6 August 2004. The closing date for the Moving Life Forward Award is Friday 23 July 2004. The Awards prize giving ceremony will take place in November, in London.
For details see the press release.
26.3.04 - UKPPG committee meeting on 26th March 2004. Your committee met in sunny Heathrow at the Radisson Hotel, whilst considering possible alternative conference venues. Those present were Graham N, Graham Parton, Wendy, Morag, Robert, Steve, Fiona, David T, Celia and Denny. David Taylor was representing CMHP. Apologies from Ian and Diane.
- David and Jo Taylor were congratulated on the birth of Scarlett Olivia on 28th (or close) February, Morag on her retirement and regards to John Donoghue, who isn't well at the moment
- CMHP Board met 3rd Feb in Leeds. Decided:
- Next viva 11th June
- CMHP entering critical period as need to get the membership up to 25 soon, having 20 at the moment.
- The Clinical Standards document was considered and a new format of recommending what people should do and the outcomes, rather than necessarily stating how often they should do it
- Research being actively pursued. First is a prescription error study, multicentre. Research counselling may also be offered through CMHP/DT.
- Prescribing survey being done to assess polypharmacy and other issues
- Now an NHS document that helps decide what is research and what is audit, thus helping decide what needs approval first e.g. looking in the notes of patients within your Trust is audit, patients outside your Trust is research.
- Finance:
- Finance report from MM was that the accounts were healthy enough to continue supporting the Group's activities
- Financial guidelines were re-approved with no changes
- Certificate/Diploma bursaries were awarded to Rachel Brown and Dan White, both from Littlemore Hospital in Oxford. Bursaries can be granted for other educational programmes if mental health focused and the application is agreed by the committee
- Conference - large amount of work done on this - see conference page
- David Pruce, RPSGB Director of Practice and Quality Improvement, RPSGB, spoke about the RPSGB, Code of Ethics and standards and a plan for active two-way communication and support was discussed, with a potentially positive outcome
- Education - Psych 1 and 2 are progressing, Psych 3 feedback awaited, Certificate and Diploma progressing well
- Bulletin trying to be sorted
- Steve Bazire is on the NICE Bipolar guidelines, the work upon which started on 23.3.04
- Also discussed:
- Questions for candidates in imminent RPSGB Council elections to aid the membership vote
- UKPPG advice on Agenda for Change (Wendy Davies to lead)
- Honours for mental health pharmacy (OBE/MBE etc and/or fellowship of RPSGB)
- Working with the NIMHE/ABPI group to look at a website project
- Working with National Patient Safety Agency on patient safety projects upon which to work
- Supplementary prescribing for nurses
- Celia is now a member of IRIS (Initiative to Reduce the Impact of Schizophrenia)
17.1.04 - UKPPG committe meeting on 16th January 2004. Your committee met in sunny Leeds, with accommodation courtesy of Organon. Those present were Graham N, Graham Parton, Morag, Robert, Steve, Fiona, Gill and Ian. Jane Riley represented CMHP. Apologies from Celia, Wendy and Denise.
Items discussed included:
- Bursaries granted to Maariyah Mahmood (Birmingham) and Vanessa Bate (Norwich) (pay the fee first, get a receipt from Aston and then get the money back)
- Conference programme: this was discussed in depth and a draft programme agreed. The venue has been confirmed as Wokefield Park.
- Education: Novartis have very kiindly agreed to fund at least 5-6 education weekends this year and so plans for two Psychiatry 1's (led by Celia Feetam), one Psychiatry 2 (to be led by Carol Paton) and possibly a second Psychiatry 3M were formulated. Three technician study days were discussed, possibly in the north east and south.
- Lots of other things were discussed but your webmaster missed some of the meeting due to an extended conference call for Psychiatry 3M