Since the last annual report, there have been eight group meetings; three professional meetings, three business meetings and two social meetings. Average attendance at the meetings was around 20, with the social events being the best attended as usual.

The second of the professional meetings was addressed by Mrs Helen Remington, Vice-President G.H.P. The District Member was in attendance at most of the meetings.

The Group Committee met once, on May 29th, to determine the syllabus for the 1998/99 session.

Membership at March 1999 is 265.

The Group was represented at the Group Secretaries Day.

The Group was represented at the Group Delegates Meeting by the Groups' Immediate Past-Chairman.

The Group was represented at the Weekend School by the District Member.

This was the AGM and last meeting in the 1997/98 session. The Group Committee was elected at the meeting, and the office bearers appointed were -

25 members of the Group were addressed by Pam Warrington, the Deputy Chief Pharmacist at the SHHD, on the topic of "Opportunities in Cancer Care". There was considerable useful discussion on where the Scottish Office see the future in this field.

"The Crown Report on Pharmacist Prescribing" was the title of the talk given by the Vice-President of the Guild, Mrs Helen Remington. Copies of the slides were made available to all reps within the District.

The Business Meeting had its usual low attendance. However, there was some useful discussion on the G.D.M. motions, and the selection of delegates.

This was a joint meeting with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain entitled "Local Health Care Co-operatives from a G.P. Viewpoint"

This was the annual ten-pin bowling competition. The winners this year were the team from the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

This was the first quiz night I have been able to attend for some years, due to the postponement of the Guild Council originally scheduled for that day. I am pleased to say that I was a member of "Team 8" - the eventual winners.

This meeting on the subject of electronic prescribing took place at the Ayr Hospital. A very interesting presentation was given by the Chief Pharmacist, Michelle Caldwell.

The one meeting of the session remaining is the A.G.M. which takes place on Thursday 1st April 1999. This is to be addressed by the local M.S.F. Regional Officer, Michael Fuller.

The unavailability of pharmacists willing to act as accredited representatives is still worrying. So is the lack of involvement of the younger pharmacists in any of the Guild activities, locally or nationally. There is considerable uncertainty about the effects of Trust mergers, although most pharmacists believe that they will not be affected. Hopefully, reality will not be too harsh on them.

The changes in the NHSiS proposed by the White Paper "Designed to Care" and the Human Resources Strategy are significant, and I find it useful that in my role as Chair of the Staffside of the Trust Joint Consultative Committee I have been able to attend various meetings on partnership, and the way forward.

COLIN RODDEN
17 March 1999