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Rt Hon Frank Dobson MP
Secretary of State for Health
Room 407, Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London SW1A 2NS

Dear Secretary of State

I have pleasure in submitting to you the second Report of the Review of Prescribing, Supply and Administration of Medicines

The Review Team members have considered carefully the extensive evidence that was submitted during the period of consultation. It is inevitable that we could not produce recommendations which would meet all the aspirations expressed to us, while at the same time meeting your requirements for a robust framework for an extension of prescribing which safeguards patient safety.

The team believes, however, that its proposals, if implemented, will provide a secure means of increasing the range of health professionals who are authorized to prescribe. This will improve services to patients, make better use of the skills of professional staff and thus make a significant contribution to the modernization of the Health Service.

I would like to place on record my grateful thanks to the chairs of the Review Team sub-groups and other Team members, all of whom have given generously of their time and energy to this work while maintaining their busy professional responsibilities. Our discussions have been forthright, in considering the complex issues before us, but have always been constructive and good humoured.

The Review Team members join me in expressing our thanks to Donna Sidonio, who led most of the work of the secretariat, and all her colleagues from the Department of Health and the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Offices. Their knowledge and experience have been invaluable to us in developing our ideas and framing our recommendations.

We hope that the recommendations of this Report will enjoy the confidence of Ministers and of professionals and will play a part in further improving health care in this country.

Yours sincerely
Dr June Crown

• Download Review of prescribing, supply and administration of medicines - final report (PDF, 316K)