Services Database Making Time Project (Leeds Area)

Making Time has been developed to ensure that people with learning disabilities get the maximum benefit from services offered by local community pharmacies.

The role of the pharmacy team is to support the patient to achieve their goals and deliver care in a way which makes it accessible and easy to understand. This could include any area of health and wellbeing, including prevention of ill health, self-care and long term conditions management, but as a pharmacy-based service, medicines optimisation is likely to be a key element.

The Making Time project is based on a year of care approach which is about a proactive process of planning the care and services offered to patients with improved patient involvement, a personalised approach which supports self-management. There are a few key steps to Making Time; registration; initial assessment; goal setting; on-going support, and final assessment.

Each pharmacy team involved in Making Time were invited to a training event run by service users in April 2015. The event introduced the pharmacy teams to the project and the support they will receive. The event also ensured staff aware of how Making Time works and how to identify and signpost patients. A second training event  took place in September 2015 and was an opportunity for the pharmacy team to see the support resources and practice conversations in a supportive environment.