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The pharmacy press are the eyes and ears of besieged contractors, attending events and reporting back objectively so they know what’s going on.

So, it’s maddening that the LPC conference has become a closed shop, open only to LPCs and Community Pharmacy England. It wasn’t always that way. I recall attending the conference and hearing interesting, at times quite fiery debates between LPC officials and what was then PSNC. I didn’t think any of that was negative. Airing out issues was healthy.

The conference gives LPCs an opportunity to challenge the negotiator, to let them know how contractors feel, but also to constructively brainstorm. I think it’s the most important event in the pharmacy press calendar.

As far as contractors are concerned, having journalists there to record who said what and what specifically was discussed is hugely important. But last year, the press was not invited.

Naturally, we wanted to know why. CPE told us “no press were invited at the request of LPCs”. That surprised me. I thought LPCs were happy to have the press there to highlight to contractors who said what and, effectively, show them the extent to which LPCs fought their corner. Yet, CPE painted a very different picture. 

“The absence of journalists provides a safe space where delegates feel more able to speak openly and honestly, resulting in a more productive day for them,” it said.

It was a bizarre suggestion. Would LPC and CPE officials feel the need to speak dishonestly if journalists were in the room?

Which leads to the theme running through all of this; transparency. The Wright Review and subsequent reforms were not about securing journalists’ admittance to events but they were designed to improve the structure, governance and transparency of LPCs and the negotiator. So, barring journalists from the LPC conference doesn’t sit well.

CPE promised to share my concerns with the LPC working group that “considers all aspects of the conference including the possibility of inviting press”. Let’s wait and see.

But this is not about pointing the finger of blame. It’s about what’s best for contractors.

Neil Trainis is the editor of Independent Community Pharmacist.