Umesh graduated from the University of Sunderland with a degree in Pharmacy in 1978 and since then has worked tirelessly, providing his services to healthcare in Sunderland and is highly respected within the pharmacy sector for his several contributions to community pharmacy.
In this lecture he talked about his journey since graduating and shared his reflections on the current situation for community pharmacy and its future.
Pleas such a privilege to be asked to welcome you all here on this rather cold and inhospitable night to come and here our esteemed guest and a warm welcome to Dr UMES Patel MBE Dr Patel graduated from the University of Sunderland in 1978 and I believe I met another one of
Your compatriots um in the canani family who do tell me there are some you know active WhatsApp groups still going on which I really intrigued by but since then you’ve worked tirelessly um to provide services to Healthcare in Sunderland and I know that you’re highly respected in the
Community I look forward to hearing lecture and I’m really interested to hear about your career trajectory and I know everyone here is here to give you a warm welcome so I can give you Dr um Patel uh ladies and gentlemen it’s a privilege to be here 43 years ago I was
Sitting in the corner on the left hand side when after my final exams and it was mandatory for us to go to social Gatherings if we didn’t go there then we were we were told that we won’t get our certificate so we all went to I remember
Going to far high and it our very good uh friend and lecturer late uh John SMI was there and guided us uh unfort unfortunately passed away two weeks ago and I went to his before I start the proceedings of the lecture I would all like to say um uh a happy birthday sing
Happy Birthday to my lecture is sitting here Dr Skelton happy birthday to you she is 90 today [Applause] this is the 58th memory lecture and I’m privileged to be here addressing every one of you hope Wich was the founder of School of Pharmacy here unfortunately she died in
Um expedition in Lake district and in her honor we have this um lecture every year Paul Carter next to her is here and he is the chairperson of Hope win and he that he’s doing an excellent for work for all of us my journey how did it begin
That’s on the left hand side on the other side is Lake Victoria this is River n and the journey of that river is 4,100 miles in Africa it’s the longest river and that you and if you see if you see that part that’s where John Henning SP discovered the source of n in
1862 and I was privileged and to be born in the town called ginger and my journey started from there in 1954 this dam was inaugurated by late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and that was a hydroelectric Dam that provided electricity to Uganda and the neighboring countries unfortunately it is redundant
Now because they found some cracks in the dam but uh yeah journey and that water you see in there you could drink it they didn’t there was no bottle water anything you can still go and have a sip of water there nothing will happen to your stomach this was that how clean
That water is the the dam actually submerged the dam where the birds are sitting and many years ago that that tree there was a guy in around 1954 he was trapped fishing and they were they were flying planes over him and um they used to throw pieces of
Bread and eventually the they rescued rescued him education my father’s wish was that I study Pharmacy in England higher education India I went there for 2 years uh but came to England due to ill health every parent in East Africa wanted their child to be educated either in England for science for accountancy
Why accountancy because at that time the Articles you did for a year a couple of years used to give you 50 a month and that was sufficient enough for the up upkeep and living apart from that some people went to Germany and why because they used to do mechanical engineering or in motor
Industries so there there are three options either you came to England to do science accountancy or you went to Germany I wasted 2 years in India year and when I came back my education wasn’t recognized I made various attempts on a levels number one I set for the
Exams and I got IA all F second attempt 1 D and 2 F third attempt I got 2D and F in physics and that physics was the hardest subject for me eventually I got um three these and I got a place in Pharmacy here in 1974 in
1974 I came here because I wanted to make sure that after having so many failures my application wasn’t lost so I came here and uh I came to the Galen building and there I uh I gave my papers on I always had the habit of keeping my
Papers in as photocopy so that in case something was lost then at least there was some proof Jim H Dr jimas late Dr jimas Who was a chemistry lecturer took me around the the Gillan building chemistry labs and showed me what the course was and he
He told me that it isn’t easy for you to do the course Pharmacy is a hard course at that time it was 3 years and now I don’t I think it’s four years in September we were uh standing in a queue round the hearts prefabricated Hearts behind Edinburgh building and
When my turn came they told me I’m sorry but your name is not here and you are not going to be admitted for the course so I said uh the ad to the admission officer he said what do I do he said you have to go and see Mr Oliver you’ll see
In a minute uh where where he was he was standing on the window and I said to Mr oliv knocked at the door and I said um he said come in um I said I been told there’s no place for you and he says you are right there isn’t any place for you
And unfortunately we can’t take you this year we had hard time uh by EDM me expel lots of Asians from there money wasn’t good hard to get now if you see that window here he was standing looking outside that was the entrance I went there he was saying Turn Turn
Around that’s Fred Oliver and that’s Mr late Vickers and that’s late Dr H who showed me around the building that’s Mr ha he was in charge all the H of residents over here so we used to live in there and you can see the current building which is the edin building here
On the top there was a lecture theater called l132 so Mr oliv I said to him sir I what what are we going to do he says I’m sorry but we haven’t got a place for you and he says to me in that case I’ll give you a
Place and and that was a turning point in my career because he gave me a place in Pharmacy when the course was absolutely full so I did my pre-registration training under under Mr George mandum 1978 79 that was in Boots in Gres SE in during
The war that shop was 24 hours all the time it there was no closure at all and and the shop was open um for people to be served I did 12 months as a relief Pharmacy for the company in 1979 relocated to London and worked as a
Local and at that time the fees was £7 an hour uh a my wife domini also a pharmacy married in 1981 local work in city of London acquired my first Pharmacy in 63 walkling Street in London ec1 in 1980 and that’s this Pharmacy here it is a cafe
Now and the second Pharmacy I took was this accountant the shop now and I acquired that a year a year later so my wife D were was working here and I was working there and I used to I used to have bags of goods uh in in my journey
Of pharmacy from one shop to the other carrying toiletries and all sorts of things going through Barum Baron and needs to go to White Cross Street and um it was it was very difficult because um wling Street shop I bought it for £ 38,000 why um and no 24 or 28 why cross
SE Branch I bought it for 38 and we were told the takings were £600 a day and the first day be went the taking was 60b so we that set us back two or 3 years So eventually sorry so it was difficult work into pharmacies di many right cross
Seat we used to take my daughter uh in a court in the morning 6:30 we used to leave home in go so which was about 40 miles every day we used to work in the shop and then uh in the evening we used to take take take her home with us in that
Time there was a opportunity for me to buy a car because in the paper it says 0% Finance didn’t have any money so I said to my wife uh look I’m going to Sunland to buy a car and uh it is 0% Finance because there’s no money so I
Came here and the dealer in South Shield paid 20 for me to come all the way by train to buy the car so I bought a I bought a Renault car and then at that time there was some partnership problem I don’t want to name them here but uh
They said look we are trying to sell this shop in in Tel Road and uh we we we’ll be quite happy to sell you the business provided you give the money I said f that’s fine so it was to convince Damini that look we need to we we need
To go to Sunland because the cost of living is less than what you you have in London so why this is an opportunity for us to go and move move to Sunland so we came to um Sunland in 1988 established t Road shop where Damini and I both work
Before that I had to sell my tonso shop so the tonso shop there was a guy I said to him there are two shops I have pick your choice exactly the same 38,000 for 63 wling Street or you pay me 38,000 for white Fross stre
Branch and you can take pay in so I had to engage um an agent so you put it in the market nothing me nothing happened for for the shop in uh in wling Street and I was getting worried that look I’ve got this shop uh we want to move away from here
What we going to do and uh all of a sudden Two Italians comeing knocked at the door and he said we want to buy a shop he said have you got open Le I said yes you can do anything you can have a Cafe Restaurant take away whatever you
Want he said we’ll give you 38,000 but I said look in honesty you have to go to my agent to the agent I’ll sell it to you so I said please keep me out of this and that was would be dirty trick for them for me to gazam and sell them the
Business so the agent said he went to the agent agent says 38,000 is no good Mr Patel needs more money he said he’ll give you 60 he said no 60 not good then he went to 100 100,000 no he’s in Italy is’s in a special meeting and I need literally
Have to have a higher offer before I can convince him that we will sell you the business and they offered me £150,000 so I I took that £150,000 that many was still sold that business D was invit and the guy uh say says I want to
Buy this business he was a news agent I said are you sure you’re not experienced here you going to buy this it’s going to be a tough Journey for you already had T Journey up to now he said no not going to buy that so he agreed he bought it
38 and then all of a sudden he pulled out he said I want to pull out I said why do you want to pull out he says I can’t afford the stock you have got I said what you mean he say 38,000 stock I
Can’t take from you I well so I found my dad he was alive then I said dad have to come back from Sunland this is why he says £38,000 you want he say just imagine that you haven’t earned any money for 2 years give the stock to him
So I was on my way back stretching my head I said what the hell I’m not going to give him the so for 38 so I brought a whole lot in Sunland and sold them at half so that was the story there and um we moved over here my
Achievements uh I joined the Sunland LPC it was privileged for me to chare that then uh one of my very close colleague who who is not with us uh Neil Chapman um was NPA member and he he quit after his threeyear term and he says um do you
Want to join NPA there’s the opportunity for you and I said to Neil Neil could I do it he said yeah go for it so I went to NPA there I was given a I was given the the the chairmanship of NPA from the NPA I went to PSNC pharmaceutical
Services negotiating committee for people who don’t know that negotiates of remuneration with the government then I was chairman of local branch of Royal Farm society and you can see you can see that sorry you can see the chain of office I found David Carter David Carter
Is here I said David I want this chain for the lecture I don’t know where it is said David you have to find it I want to show to the people what the change was so he gave me a couple of names I couldn’t track it this was only last
Month eventually I found it in Scotland and it was delivered by special delivery and the chain of office is here with me today and late John Smith said that chain of office probably worth more than 3,000 found because it’s gold and we found that chain and uh later on I’m going to
Present that chain to Paul because this chain I think David I we wish and David said it be appropriate when if John was alive he probably wanted to to give that chain to the university so this will be in the exhibition here in the University which which will be there for for years
To come for people to see who are the chairman and who um people like even Bill darling had put this chain on and this it is so valuable it is not the materialistic value is how people have used this chain carried the flag for the general pharmaceutical
Council now it was the Royal pharmaceu Society at that time so they They Carried that and so yes this is for the University then from then on I became the chairman of Royal pharmaceutical Society for the regional branch which I took over from from John Smith wonderful
Man he died about 3 weeks ago um not going too much into detail his son walked in the shop and he he said he almost there and I was standing there and I took him on the side where we did the vaccination and he hugged me and he
Cried I said what’s wrong he says my dad thought a lot about you unfortunately he died because he had covid when he went home he fell down and when he fell down they took him in the hospital and he had terminal illness and we lost him wonderful man he lot of
People have been taught by him and we lost him I was privileged to be Board of governor governor of University of Sunland for 9 years and I after 9 years my my one of my best friend Mark B is the current Board of Governor uh who was
Taken over uh I chair Sun nspc Sunland business group one year just before covid we raised £7,000 for the year that money was in my journey I always remember that was only to be used for sunl nowhere else uh I chaired the governance Committee of NPA CH the Articles CH the
Constitution of the of the association and I also became the chairman of NPA I was privileged extremely privileged one day I was I had dropped somebody at the airport and a test was around about I was uh driving and I came home and I got clicked by the
Camera so I come home I said to D bad day for me she says what’s wrong I said I’ve been I’ve been clicked by the camera then opened the letter he said I said this is a letter for you from University I said keep it on one side
This letter must be for me to go and attend the degree ceremony he said you haven’t even looked at it properly and I looked at it it was it was the letter to say that they invited me to take the only doctorate and that was that was high lot of that then after
That dhini through NP went to Buckingham Palace Garden Party in the garden party um I said when it was over uh Prince Charles now King I the chain are you mayor or some sort I know I’m chair my Association that’s why I’ve got a chain of office so he um that
Was that and we were coming down soon knows there’s a r red carpet two side side steps and we are coming down I grabbed that hand I said Ian you’re not going to go on the side test you’re going to come to the middle one and she
Said why I said this is where the president’s prime minister gandi everybody has walked up and down and 2 years later I was in invited for to take the MV from our majesty and that was the most privileged thing I’ve ever had in my life and there she is and the thing
That meant me a lot was she said to me the country is very proud of you that meant a lot that’s my son loes who was very well trained by Anita and Mark Bon as a pre-re pre-registration student he’s got a business in London now and that’s my daughter tripura he he’s
Coming for Christmas he’s she’s now in U in Dubai that is uh shlock he in 2015 he made me Deputy Lord leant and that was a privilege the same year Sue became DL and later on she became the Lord left of tinan right this is the most difficult part to tell you
Um I had a mani in 2021 one the photograph below here that happened to what happened to me I had bacterial Mages and hardly but hardly anybody lives in this you’re gone you’re absolutely finished so that was me before how I looked and see how I looked
Over there um I was hospitalized for 3 months and and uh one guy then I was taken to a ward it’s a it’s quite emotional to tell you but she used to come at about because the visit visiting time so between 6:00 and 7 and she used to finish work at 6:00
And she and one day I saw her and couple of drops of uh tears from my eyes and I called her back and I was I was lying like this I couldn’t get up I was being fed like that and then she I said why
What song you said says I want to come and see you unfortunately I’m not able to come and see you because they they asking me to keep the shop open till six and I said what’s wrong she said they they say that you have to apply it takes
3 months to get a grand permission I said shut the damn thing I said you can come and see me anytime I said you if you want to come and see me you can but they were wetting because at that time covid was very high and they would not
Allow people to come in so my daughter used to plan everything and after I was uh when I recovered in October 2022 I I went to ICC unit and they all came rushing and including the surgeon and she said I’m surprised you’re standing over here they
They showed me one of the units he said number one he’s occupied but you can’t take any photographs he say that’s where you were wired up with kidney your kidneys were failing everything was so Mark Bon came to see me some of my friends came and saw me and they used to
Come and visit me in the hospital and at that time it was really tough really tough and I used to pray to God please don’t give anything what you have given me they never found out what was the cause of my mananes but it was it is one
Of the deadliest disease you can ever get and I got it and the surgeon told my wife the that he’s got a very strong personality he come out of I’m surprised he’s come out of and I did so I was taken I was taken in one of the vs
Recovery physio vard no it was e52 and there’s a guy called Dave I forget his name top physiotherapist of Sunland hospital and he comes to me and he says can I shake your hand I said no no he said I seen your name somewhere I
Said well I don’t even know I said half I’m like here I don’t even know where I am he going to Google your name next day he comes to me he said can I shake your hand I said what for he said you are the one who gave me a degree on the
Podium and Steve clam was away on covering the games I was a privileged to be hosting the the degree ceremony and I gave the degree and after that things happen um people came in um Mark people like Mark used to tell D look anytime you want to any cover you want you tell
Me we’ll come and help you and uh and and it it recovered then in the 2022 um about 200 pharmacist were invited to go to St James’s Palace then it was Prince Charles and you can see I’m still see there and he says to me um
I said look sir they really looked after me when I was not well and what he said what do you mean by that I said the NHS without NHS I wouldn’t have been alive and um he came back again to me and he shook my hand he says are you all right
Now I said yeah they gave me a chair to sit down because I wasn’t didn’t have the energy because I lost 16 kg in weight in my illness and he came and saw my B pel he say ah it must be all the pel you must be your consultant must
Have looked after you in your life and then he became the king of England so we are privileged that that he was there what have I seen in 43 years Pharmacy voice came in United voice for everyone but that there was fragmentation and people used to fight
With each other so it didn’t work out Harold shipment was a turning point in community pharmacies nobody still knows how many people he has murdered his only War counted is there after that strict regulations accountability on drugs came in Fitness to practice you know you got
To be fit to be there you to declare everything have you got any um convictions you to declare and they will assess you on that one the process of applying for pharmacy took longer time more than 3 months I think maybe maybe even 6 months Pharmacy
Course is changed from 3 to 4 years pre- exams are implemented and there was a huge shortage of drugs brexit and impact on supply of chain chain of medicines brexit effect they still shortage a lot of medicin and I think lot of people are struggling to get some medicines
Pharmacy course is more clinical than practical experience now you got lot of prescribing pharmacies standard operating procedures came in to see what you’re doing how do you they can come and check and gdpr which everybody knows you cannot release data to any and Pharmacy uh quality scheme came in where you had
To do lots of things and digitalization there are two people I’m very grateful when is Elena and Joel they here and they helped me uh to gather all the information on and when I went to one of the uh the room in the offices I was surprised to see so many computer
Screens but in my days those days they weren’t there but the university has changed quite a lot there are more pharmacist working GP surgeries there is massive drop in drug Market Marg in the big companies are closing you see lots of companies are closing why because there’s no margin
They us to rely on the money that was coming on drug margins and they and they and and and they started closing the shop so you find that also dropped the Goodwill so if you want to buy a shop they they were being sold at very cheap price shortage of Manpower because
Lot of people went in surgeries people are not getting enough money huge lack of funding from government we were given I think it was Mark 2.32 or 2.5 billion pound and that was six package for 5 years and there was no uplift they did promise that we will get more money but
That made Journey for everybody very difficult covid outbreak the worst thing ever we ever had I went to this place in the Northeast in a warehouse and I saw two Jumbo that like a room back to back two Jumbo Jets full of pp all out of date they have a problem
Disposing that and I said can I take some photograph they said no you can’t and uh and he then he said you know if you didn’t have the pp and it was really bad out broke like burger then we would have been in trouble so basically they had to they had to dump
That Co affected a lot of people I think we lost family members lot of sad things I know there is a CO inquiry now but I think the the country did quite well in in the circumstances had it been bad then they would have been blamed the
Government would have been blamed so I I sympathize with all people on The Gallows at the moment but that’s the way it is I think the government asking to do more for less money no matter what you do how much you work hobin spoke that centralized dispensing is coming and uh
They will start do internet pharmacies electronic transfer prescription years ago people used to pay a lot of money having Pharmacy in the health centers but there suddenly your prescription are going locally now so Health Centers started going down people uh uh unfortunately people not surviving in the health centers and people have paid
Lot of lot of money um internet pharmacies are tripping in uh collection delivery of dispens medicines that is Norm consolidation and of pharmacies why as I just explained to you is because U the margin is not there is hard Health Center pharmacies are are shutting down what’s the feature of this
Profession there is challenges for Community Pharmacy there are challenges from internet phaces we have to really really work hard I SP not that I do a lot of work from 9 to 600 Monday to Saturday does the dispensing there is huge financial squeeze huge financial squeeze people having cash flow problem even the
Wholesalers are having problem and they can’t get the good because they want money first from you and the biggest skill is the cash flow no matter how profitable your business is if you cannot sustain the cash flow you are in trouble real trouble paying for paying it for
Forwards huh supported I I supported my lecturers and I in their old age um and I I still value them one of the classic example is here sitting in front who taught me so many years ago and he has taken this trouble to come that’s a big big plus for
Me what has this country done it is integrated people no matter what color you are brown black white whatever what nationality the biggest thing these country is offer integration opportunities doesn’t there is no barrier for you in this country if you work hard it give you opportuni to
Do whatever you want you can see from the example it’s hard work but the country gives you opportunities it gives you security right you are in a safe hands in this country NHS no matter what people slag on NHS they made me live that is a classic example how NH is in
This country it is the only country the it is the first biggest industry is NHS in the world and the second biggest is Indian railways right and NHS is looking after people we are moaning we are not getting this we are not getting that but
It is the NHS that looks after you do you tell me any country is going to give you free medicine people are so spoiled here but we just they go to doctor I had a headache I give give you an example A friend of mine uh he was a Jep in
Leester and and um a patient walks in some Indian guy walks in and my friend Indian as well and he says the doctor I come to see when are you coming home for my dinner for for dinner he said doctor says I haven’t got time to to invite I’m
Here to look after the patient he said all right then if you think I wasted my time give me couple of hundred of parasal I’ll be that they’ll be fine for me so there are people who who have Abus the system excellent education you can see it from the overse students are coming
Here the opportuni you get education you get my father had a vis people had wish their wish to come to send people to England for education and it is giving the finest education this is the finest University I think and I’m proud I’m not say saying that because I’m sending here
But it’s given me a lot of opportunity and given me proper Foundation when I in uh when I was buying my business for my son it was with blessings of Mark and Anita who trained him and uh a friend of mine was selling the business and I I have no PR
Or I’m not going to hide from you and uh the asking price was 1.75 million pounds so I was in a wedding somebody’s wedding and my friend say you have done NPA you’ve done this you’ve done that what have you done for your family I said it’s tough Journey you know it’s not
Easy you know Pharmacy not easy he said have you ever thought of your son how you going to do I said look he’s fine he said no he got to get in some uh you you must get in some sort of business so we found this business the couple actually
Studied here both had nervous breakdown but both they both passed the exam and I said to him give I he says what can we do I said look can you help I says I don’t want you to for a cheap price but I’ll give you more than the market price
And the ask went to 2.3 million and U no bank would have the money so I went to a bank here and uh Co hit and he says I’m sorry but the whole uh lending we have to go to London so I had to start everything again I had to
Go to London I was I was short of um 265,000 and that was money required I wasn’t going to get a business for locers so I A friend of mine he’s not here he was supposed to be here today and I asked him I said I need some
Money um the bank W give me money because 90% Lo was there balance of 265 was wanted he says I give you the money and I said what security do you want he says you are my brother I will never ask for any security from you and G me 265,000
Cash to put it in the business for locers to buy the business and I think the excellent training uh Mar Anita gave him gave him the proper foundation and uh he has got a good and a very successful business and um and I said to him one of the criteria
For the bank Bank fending was I have to put my house in £500,000 the banks normally don’t take any money from you because if if you’re living home they won’t and in this case they took and I said to my son when I qualified in grer Street it
Was Mr Mand and the day I qualified he says you are carrying a bucket of water on over your head you spill that water on the floor you will never be able to pick that water so remember that in your life you have to be whiter than white
That’s the thing you have to learn from me sadly passed and I told my son the same I said you spill that water your D and Mom are going to be homeless because the bank has got half a million pound mortgage on my house but now he’s happy
Um he’s happy he’s doing well uh he always keeps in touch with his uh Mark shop he always goes there and sees them and and they they loved him to beats and that’s what it is is what this else this country gave us the country gave us baly
They gave us they gave us chicken Tika Masala that’s the thing they got we got in this country and if you go if you want any uh if you want um anything like that this is this country that gives you that opportunity in my journey in Pharmacy success is a vehicle which
Moves on a wheel named hard work but journey is impossible with the fuel names s self-confidence thank you very [Applause] much well thank you so much I’m hoping there’ll be some questions but I just have to make a few Reflections to say that that was not so much a career
Description as a Whistle Stop to the force a long career and what shines through is your connections to the people and your sense of humanity and humility for all the Privileges that have been afforded you and you paying it forwards so I think they Testament to your character and actually I hope in
Some way Sunland University had a small part to play in that people who open and in turn you’ve open doors for others so I’m wondering if anyone has any questions I might start off in thate which is always a privilege of doing this so on that long time ago when you came to
Sunderland to buy your Rena car what made you what was it that actually made you want to stay the cost of living number one the people Perfection of people I and I I somehow had this of the ass my Find Unity and I could never L the
Connection I always wanted to come back it was difficult to convince to come because my parents said oh you want to go back there I said look that whether you buy a business there or in Sun I think it’s a better opportunity for us to settle down and I asked some of my
Friends and they said they told me go that you will make some sort of feature your career without I would able to go to theam we have some I would wouldn’t have been able to go to see the king or or get MB or the local um things I got LPC
Chairs and love and affection from all the people sitting here some of them I know for years I would have been able to get no so yes something easy place for [Applause] me so maybe questions thoughts and Reflections on what we’ve heard about yeah hi that was great really good
Um you me you mentioned um you know you you painted a little bit of a bleak picture of Community Pharmacy they talk about lack of funding and lack of Staffing my question is is but you know in your experience which is um you know substantial is it cyclic have you been here
Before in 1980 years when they wanted to consolidate pharmacies I remember walking Street was one of the license I gave up they give me £16,000 just to close because they wanted to close the shops but I think the market is driv at the moment Market there’s no margin it’s
Hard work it’s difficult to convince lot of people sitting here to say how tough it is in farms expectations is very high but I I think the cycle will change it will take time I think it’s going to be tough I would love to retire time commitments are there you have a Bings
If I if I come out now I to think about it half a million I’ve given guarantee to my son the bank will say hang on you show the business you that so I think it is not as bad I think you people have have to wait couple of years and start
Picking up you know don’t forget your Deb is is NHS yeah they give you the money you not borrowed money from them so your business is secure but as long as you can sustain you do the cash flow you know sometimes I ask Mark I want
This I want can I borrow this item I can’t get so I go to his shop and get things from him I go to all the way to to to to to his shops and get the things and so helping hand is there I got TI sitting here somewhere she’s a Community
Pharmacy she’s got her own interet phaces and she’s my master for for for my it problem she helps me in every way I got problem you know at the moment we are giving covid vaccines so now they have realized what is the value Community pharmacist are giving to rest
Of the N we are actually a backbone for them we they cannot survive without us so I think the future is not bleed it’s bright but you wait for it and you get it don’t ask me any question on money UMES thank you very much Colin ransaw class of
74 I graduated the year you started and I think that you were very fortunate to find Sunderland and Pharmacy was very fortunate to have you but I look back and reflect upon what we’ve been doing in that period and you talk about 74 we were a supply function vir’s Pharmacy whether
It was in the acute sector or Community we’re moving on to more clinically orientated Services now but I look back and think I wish I was starting Pharmacy in Sunderland today pharmacogenomics is developing so rapidly do you have still that hunger to come back and start a game
No I got to I got to reverse gear hard I don’t think I could pass any of the exams now Dr Skelton is here and he was with Dr Edwards doing our chemistry labs and U they used to Mark our books and if there was big Lin
Across but I think they were the the true teachers and I think we this is this establishment has always and me always give the best lectures in the world I don’t care what London University says I don’t care what they say about here is the CL that’s what it
Is this this University lots of opportunities for people I say I say it like a parot this country has got doesn’t matter what what color you are you are car you will get whatever you want but if you just lay back and think you expect things from free and enough
No there not that’s not for you I think there was someone else in back yeah I I was just reflecting as a as a local far retired local pharmacist I was privileged to work for lots of Independent Pharmacies and my feeling is never having over one myself that all
Legislation now is geared towards the multiples not to the private pharmacist do you do you agree with that you that tough It’s change the coin has slipped now it’s not as as as you think it is it is I think more the the coin is double sided in favor of us Community Pharmacy
More than the multiples multiples are in a mess I I I I don’t any crimes about it I sat with them there was one time it was all one organization but things are really bad in the other on the other side so they are that’s why they are
Selling why do you think Lloyd’s Farms close so many they can’t afford you know I had I sold my stic license to Lloyd’s Pharmacy in in in Bunny Hill I sold my my Pharmacy in the health center to Lloyds Dr OB is sitting here he will
Tell you how bad it was you know the doctors used to come to me and say you know this place they are in a messes what do you mean he says we are writing drugs they not supposed to dispense they’re still giving out because that there was that margin was they were
Getting it but nobody was there to check if you want to have your if you are there in your business then you’re going to look after your business you know everything every penny you’re going to say whatever you can but you rely on somebody just there is a whole group of
34 pharmacies there’s a final beid tomorrow which group is gone it’s going and I’m won’t be surprised if they go because mismanagement people haven’t the staff haven’t been trained the staff are not looking forward and then no proper you need to literally be focusing on your business you’re you’re it’s Doom
You’re finished and that’s what happened in most of them margin was one of the things that I would say drug margin was hard and that’s really pulled people down and brexit has given lot of shortages we are tired of telling people please come back please come back you my
Son says to me say Dad says to D you know Mom they’re really horrible people and she says why and he says because they said oh you haven’t got this and you haven’t got that but they don’t understand the background what’s going on behind and they they just blame you
That there is a drug shortes it’s really hard expectation is that you got to meet them if you don’t meet them then you’re finished I think then people start dting away from you dting away from you can I just add to that because I sit on the local Authority health and wellbeing for
At the moment and the counsil is there bringing complaints to our health and wellbe board in the same way blaming pharmacists for medicine shortages and I’m trying to defend the pharmacist by explaining to them what a pharmacy and the pharmacist really is and how they are not responsible for manufacturing issues and Str
Medicines and to me that means we are not as pharmacists as professionals getting our message across not only to the public but to the counselors at our local authorities who were responsible for assessing and doing the pharmaceutical Services need um uh contracts but just not getting out there
And getting the message across now I’m sure you hear in Sund with your involvement you are one of the few people that’s been pushing that message but we’re not doing it enough at local Authority level because they’re not prepared to listen you know if if you
Look at the HRT scenario I I don’t she does the dispensing they is 6 Seven 8 months and there is a shortage because one person is got 8 month supply of drugs all or 6 month supply you just give them one month so everybody gets a share chance and that that’s what the
Problem but the demand you can’t we we cannot blame the surgeries surgeries are there they they are underst St they have their own problems why do you think lot of surgeries are they’re retiring because there huge huge problem for them I think Hospital doctor at 38,000 a window
Cleaner gets more than a hospital doctor that’s what I saw 38,000 shocking is no wonder they going so somehow money has to come up somewhere but the taxpayer is can’t take the Mone for you we as a profession in in my profession I think I think it is difficult it’s not going to
Be easy to get money the way you want it because they haven’t got the money they haven’t got the money the health and well-being board the council they don’t know they should work in front one day spend a day in the pharmacy soon when she was chairperson
She used to visit the phaces and sit down and she was in the board and she used to understand what was going on and that was a big plus because likes of our if they are in the front line they know exactly what the problem is they can
Then do the policies they want and change that so we we have to educate them I don’t know it’s difficult very difficult but that’s the way the world is I think thing it’s more not question but more of a bit of a nostalgic um comment
But just as I was listening and to your presentation I realized how long we’ve known each other and I’m feeling a little bit old um but just for those of you who don’t know I had a long career in the pharmaceutical industry and UMES was one of the first pharmacists I met
Not that many years ago but just to say you really you know it’s a tough industry to be in and it really relies on working together with Community pharmacist and a lot of the problems about stock and issues I I’ve experienced it and I understand but I
Think you just you’ve been a complete inspiration and you really taught me about the Art and Science of Pharmacy practice then is a lot I taken into when I we go sort of moved into the University at the same time and you were there when I got my PhD you were on the
Governor’s at the time and just as I just sort of no experience is ever wasted so a lot of what I learned in the pharmaceutical industry is translated into Pharmacy practice research and I can remember one of the first papers I published you were like I sent it to you
And you were like y okay you need to go speak to the local pharmaceutical committee we need to be tring this we need to put things in place so I guess really it just for me it’s just thank you you have a complete inspiration and you really are you embody what’s great
About suland see looks out all over think just reflecting on what you just said about the art and the science and I think what we’ve also heard today is the heart the science and the art so thank you so much [Applause] I got one more business before I finish is to give
Paul this prestigious chair so many chairman Sunland Brown have WN me and to be presented to you and I think David I can that David it was the right thing to do and I hope it is priceless uh hope it goes in somewhere in the museum and University for people to see
How many people they would think it’s probably God knows how many years we have all we are privileged to have this and I think our good friend late John Smith would have loved to have this in the university and that’s one of the wishes I think David said to me so
Paul very thank you I will look after him [Applause] before Okay so we’ve got another a couple of things to do um before we kind of finish off um first of all um can I ask the spsa to come down we’ve got the President E and the spsa the H winch benevolence
Fund um provides three scholarships a year um of of up to 15500 to um current undergraduates who find themselves in financial difficulty unintentional for no no fault of their own and so um the the fund is is is exists through donations and through fundraising and I’ve invited the spsa
Because they um they’re going to make a presentation to the fund great so the delighted to support this fund every year and we arrange loads of F activities such as quizzes and B Sales we actually have a quiz Tom our so we’re delighted such a great 450
So thank you very much um to the s spsa for that um I think um what what what we find is um we we meet we meet I’m on the panel that um that that looks at the applications we’ll meet three times a year and um the the number of applic there’s usually
About what seven or eight applications per session it’s very very difficult there some really hard decisions to be made to who gets it I would I’m a big softly I would like to give everybody but um we can’t and so um you know we award £1,500 and um and then then we we
Get impact statements back from the students and um you know it’s really really heartwarming when you read those you do find that the money does really make difference so I think we’re doing a good thing so thank you very much and hopefully sometime you can do it
Again I said we we rely on donations ands so if you want any more information please contact me um or and Jordan from the um from the development office and we’ll give you some more information on that notes after more than 30 years of working at the University um Professor Tony Alabaster
Retired and Tony’s sitting there over the years Tony’s made an outstanding contribution to the to the university particularly in the areas of health and environment and um in 2016 he was our dean of the faculty of Health scien and well-being and he played a massive role in the transformation of the university
To what it is now so um Tony’s always being proud when students graduate and he’s always been a great advocate of the hopewood society and that’s what this is about because this is a big thank you Tony for supporting the hwi society so I’m saying that on behalf of the hwi
Society you’ve given us support you’ve been generous in your time you’ve um attended events prize giving and even some reunions and also you’ve been generous in your money as well so he was Tony you know funded many of our events and and we’re very grateful for
That so um you know we’ve been able to grow and flourish because of that and it’s because you care I don’t know that he cares about about the students and he and and he he firmly believes that keeping in touch with graduates when they get out into the world when
They in their working lives keeping in touch reaps massive benefits and um so so Tony thank you very much and I believe we’ve got a little gift for you so would you like to come down EXC there we are Tony you’ve given out loads of these it’s your turn now [Applause]
Thank thank you folks it’s been an absolute privilege and honor and a pleasure and long may it continue thank you [Applause] i’ like to now present Umesh with a gift for your mantle piece from the glass Cent there to thank you for the talk and I I agree with what
People have been saying you’re an inspiration and you’re a great um advocate for for Sunland so thanks for that UMES has always kept in touch Umesh is one of the the biggest fans of the Hope wi Society so thank you thank you and um just a little present also for
Dam has supported you we heard all I’ll have to do more vaccines tomorrow right and I think um I think that concludes the uh lecture for today so thank you very much for coming on this such a wild night but um and and great and hopefully see you again next year because remember
This is an annual event so and it’s been a brilliant turnout
1 Comment
Very proud of you Brother. 🙏🌹🌹🙏