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Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester is setting the standard for what pharmacy leadership can achieve at scale. Saša Janković spoke to its director of strategy and pharmacy transformation Luvjit Kandula…

It was no surprise when Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester (CPGM) won the Best Supporting Local Representative Group award at last year’s Independent Pharmacy Awards at the House of Commons.

As the representative body for 620 pharmacy contractors across the 10 localities of Greater Manchester – Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan – CPGM has a wide patch to cover but a very experienced team on hand to help.

Chaired by former Well superintendent pharmacist Janice Perkins, the organisation is governed by a committee of 12 members, comprising five independent contractor representatives, two from the Independent Pharmacies Association and five from the Company Chemists’ Association.

CPGM’s leadership is driven by a dedicated team 

Alongside them, CPGM’s leadership is driven by a dedicated team made up of Luvjit Kandula, director of strategy and pharmacy transformation, who is also chair of the local Primary Care Board (PCB); Louise Gatley, director of services and contractor support; pharmacy contract and services technician Rikki Smeeton; communications and engagement lead Karishma Visram; and Adrian Kuznicki, services and contractor support lead.

All team members are trained in mental health first aid (MHFA), enabling them to offer crucial support to contractors and their teams as they navigate workplace challenges.

The MHFA training undertaken by CPGM staff is part of a broader commitment to the health and wellbeing of pharmacy teams.

Indeed, in collaboration with the Primary Care Board, CPGM has compiled a range of support services including helplines, guidance and training opportunities to assist pharmacy professionals in managing stress and maintaining mental health – something which is particularly important ​during the sector’s currently straitened times, where Community Pharmacy England has indicated the CPCF baseline settlement for 2025-26 of £3.073 billion may not fully address the sector's financial challenges.

Nonetheless, noting that community pharmacy will receive the largest funding uplift across the NHS, Luvjit says there has been a mixed reaction from contractors across Greater Manchester.

Contractors are clear - there is still a financial gap to cover

“In some cases, its understood that this is likely the best settlement that could have been obtained considering the wider context of NHS reform and proposed reductions in costs and staffing for ICBs and NHS Trusts,” she said.

“Contractors are clear that there is still a financial gap to cover the rising operational costs such as National insurance, wages etc and therefore, a continued risk to financial stability and cash flow as per the Independent NHS economic review.”

However, on a positive, she adds: “There is more hope as the deal indicates that there is a commitment to invest in front line clinical services. However, this is only a first step to ensure that the sector remains viable. Additional financial support is needed to close the financial gap and cover rising operational costs.

“But if these changes are enacted quickly, this will stabilise the sector to ensure they can continue to offer a wide range of services and innovate to support future models of care. If not, there is still a risk that community pharmacies may not remain viable.”

Region is characterised by its cultural diversity

The region CPGM serves is characterised by its cultural diversity, with up to 200 languages spoken across Greater Manchester, and disparities in health outcomes, driven by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, disability, poverty and social exclusion, strain an already burdened healthcare system.

However, despite these challenges, CPGM has made notable achievements over the past 12 months.

“For example, our Pharmacy First workshops, launched in collaboration with NHS GM and Allied Health, have seen a 95 per cent uptake, enabling contractors to deliver 10,000 to 12,000 consultations monthly, making Greater Manchester the second highest in England for these services,” explains Luvjit.

CPGM actively promoted the Pharmacy First service through these clinical training sessions, which provided pharmacists with comprehensive knowledge of the Pharmacy First service, alongside webinars aimed at sharing best practices and offering guidance to pharmacy teams.

Luvjit says this has “been instrumental in facilitating the adoption of Pharmacy First across the region”.

Pharmacy Excellence Programme

Additionally, the Pharmacy Excellence Programme, supported by Greater Manchester integrated care board and GM Primary Care Board (PCB) and led by the Community Pharmacy Provider Board is empowering contractors to expand their service delivery capabilities.

​A strategic initiative designed to enhance the operational efficiency and service delivery of community pharmacies across the region, the Programme launched in 2023, building on the success of similar initiatives like the GP Excellence Programme and the developing Optometry Excellence Programme. 

Delivered in partnership with CPGM and Captivating Training Solutions, it uses the ReviveRx platform to give tailored support to over 400 community pharmacy providers to address areas for improvement on topics including strategic staffing solutions, talent management, team cohesion, wellness recovery action plans and lean waste management principles. ​

CPGM has also focused on enhancing communication and engagement through locality leads, WhatsApp groups, regular pharmacy visits and proactive outreach via weekly ‘temperature check’ calls, sharing case studies, and the development of toolkits and guidance for service delivery.

Improving healthcare delivery

Through ongoing collaboration with Health Innovation Manchester, NHS GM and local healthcare organisations, CPGM continues to play a vital role in addressing the health challenges of Greater Manchester, reinforcing its commitment to supporting contractors and improving healthcare delivery across the region.

So far, 179 community pharmacies have signed up to the Greater Manchester Care Record (GMCR), alongside Well Pharmacy, which Luvjit calls “really positive news”.

“The GMCR not only contains the GP record, but also prescribed drugs, patient history, test results, blood pressure, BMI, patient letters, hospital discharge and social care information,” she explains, “and further developments will allow access to additional information from GP records.” 

The community pharmacy sector in Greater Manchester is also involved in Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s Live Well initiative, which is a key part of Greater Manchester’s response to tackling health, social and economic inequalities in neighbourhoods.

And with an eye on the future, Luvjit is keen to stress that community pharmacy’s role in the primary care landscape of the region is only set to grow. 

“As a team, we’re proud to champion and empower community pharmacy across Greater Manchester," she says.

“And our focus will always be on building resilient, supported, and future-ready pharmacy teams that can continue to deliver exceptional care in every neighbourhood we serve.”