There was then a presentation by Anne Lee on the Medicines Information services in Scotland and how they might develop in line with the aspirations of "The Right Medicine". The service currently answers around 25,000 enquiries per year and sees the future as being more proactive and supplying practitioners with information before they realise they might need it.

I gave an update on AfC to the meeting and arranged a meeting with three of the Primary Care Trust Chief Pharmacists to elucidate the primary care specific problems which need to be addressed within AfC (see below).

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HRF Workplan. The Partnership Support Unit will be redrafting and updating the workplan for the next meeting of the HR Forum in April and it is likely to be much tighter on both the priorities for the HRF and the timetable for delivering those priorities.

Joint Future Agenda. The Forum considered two reports from the Joint Future HR Working Group setting out the plan of work for the full group and for the Terms and Conditions sub group over the next few months.

Occupational Health & Safety. An interim report on past and future work of the Strategy Implementation Group is to be presented to the next meeting of the HR Forums. There will be a Conference in June around the main health & safety priorities and the work is focusing at the moment on Violence in the Workplace, Needlestick Injuries and Manual Handling.

PIN Board and Guidelines. A full review of each of the existing guidelines is being carried out by the original members of the Guideline Development Groups. New guidelines on recruitment and selection, fixed term contracts and induction are scheduled for later this year or early 2005. A letter on current progress is being sent to all Chief Executives and DHRs.

National Workforce Strategy/Committee. Further consideration is being given to how the new Strategy will be developed and to the extent which the sub structures necessary to deliver that Strategy will need to be revised. A paper will be submitted to HRF members soon.

Greater Glasgow. The Joint Chair of the HR Forum questioned the lack of involvement of trade unions and trade union officials from the maternity review currently taking place in Glasgow. Apparently it lies within the remit of the Scottish Partnership Forum to ensure that the services working in partnership and this issue will be pursued by the Partnership Support Unit.

Terms and Conditions Sub Group. A working group has been set up to put together the terms of reference and the proposed composition of a sub group of the HR Forum which will cover terms and conditions issues (including Agenda for Change) which are currently covered by SPRIG. The PSU will convene that Group and it will report back to the next meeting of the HR Forum.

1st April 2004. HR Directors will be asked to consider the revision and updating of all existing agreements (especially Disciplinary Agreements) in light of the changes to employers that take place for most staff in Scotland as from April 1st this year (with the final dissolution of NHS Trusts).

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