A SOUTHAMPTON pharmacist has won a prestigious national award for helping to improve diabetes care across the country.

Philip Newland-Jones, an advanced specialist pharmacist in diabetes and endocrinology at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust, was named winner of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s leadership in pharmacy category.

The award was presented in recognition of his outstanding leadership across several clinical, education and research fields within diabetes treatment and care locally and nationally.

It comes just weeks after his colleague Dr Mayank Patel was shortlisted for another top national award - the 2015 Quality in Care Programme Award in its Outstanding Educator category - for his work tackling diabetes.

Since joining UHS in 2008, Mr Newland-Jones has helped to establish an inpatient diabetes team which, as well as his own role, includes a lead consultant, five specialist nurses and a research dietitian.

The team completes full daily reviews, provides information materials to all patients and staff, offers bespoke teaching sessions to all wards and rectifies any unsafe or incorrect prescribing.

In addition to his work in Southampton, he is the lead pharmacist for NHS England’s Diabetes Clinical Reference Group, a member of the Diabetes UK professional council and sits on the diabetes parliamentary think tank.

Dr Patel, lead diabetologist at UHS, said: "Diabetes currently costs around 10 per cent of the annual NHS budget – around £1.5 million per hour – and 80 per cent of this relates to the complications of poor control of blood glucose levels.

“With the incidence of diabetes also increasing and the national number of patients currently with undiagnosed diabetes estimated at 800,000, pharmacist support will be essential – and no-one is doing more to champion this than Philip.”

He added: “He has gone above and beyond to promote the benefits of the role of specialist pharmacists in diabetes and is well-known nationally in both medical and nursing professions, as well as pharmacy, for his expertise in diabetes.

“Philip is truly deserving of this distinguished accolade and we are all extremely privileged to say he is part of our team and helping to drive up standards of diabetes care for patients, not just in Southampton but across the country.”

Mr Newland-Jones added: “To receive this award demonstrates just how much progress we are making in driving up standards of diabetes care and highlighting the important role pharmacists have to play in it.

“Pharmacy is no longer about simply dispensing medicines, it encompasses bedside patient reviews, the running of outpatient clinics and regular involvement with patients to manage their overall health – effectively co-managing patients alongside physicians.

“Pharmacists are now increasingly recognised in the care of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients and I hope we can continue motivating more pharmacists to develop an interest in specialising in diabetes going forwards.”