Specialised pharmacy service to officially open

A specialised pharmacy service that serves people with mental health problems and learning disabilities across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield will be officially opened on Wednesday 17th June.

The pharmacy will be opened by local pharmacist, Dr Gill Hawksworth, who is a past president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The new pharmacy provides more individualised care for people who use mental health and learning disability services provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The facility is run exclusively by the Trust and delivers an integrated service to the inpatient wards at Fieldhead in Wakefield as well as all the community based services across the organisation.

The new service allows for a dedicated team of specialist pharmacy staff whose only focus is on service users with mental health problems – rather than generalised pharmacy staff who deal with a range of issues. These staff work within each of the Trust’s localities to deliver the specialist service and give advice to Trust clinicians.

The Trust’s chief pharmacist Lynn Haygarth said, "The relocation of the pharmacy is a very positive move for the Trust. It streamlines services whilst ensuring that dispensing procedures across all our localities, whether on wards or out in the community, are regulated and consistent. The majority of mental health care is delivered via community based teams and the new pharmacy is having a positive impact on the way treatment is provided to local people via these services."

She added, "We are delighted that Dr Hawksworth has agreed to officially open our pharmacy and we are very much looking forward to continuing to use this service to make positive changes for people who use our services."