A COMMUNITY network to help support babies, children and young people with life-threatening conditions has been launched in central Scotland.

Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) have partnered with NHS Forth Valley on the new venture unveiled in Sauchie last week.

On hand to make the announcement was Clacks woman Caroline Johnstone and her daughter Ayla.

The youngster was born with the very rare Edwards' syndrome, and the family are supported by CHAS.

The Community Pharmacy Network is the first of its kind in the UK and will be piloted from this month until December 2020.

As well as offering support to young people up to the age of 21 and their families, timely access to specialist medicines and paediatric palliative care advice in their community will also be available.

Kate McCusker, lead pharmacist at CHAS, said: "Working alongside colleagues at NHS Forth Valley, we identified the important role that community pharmacy can play in delivering paediatric care services, improving the safe use of medicines for those children.

"As a consequence, an exciting new service has been developed with community pharmacists taking a leading role.

"The service will capitalise on the clinical expertise of community pharmacists, their unique accessible position within local communities and their reach across Forth Valley to improve access to specialist medicines and palliative care advice for healthcare professionals and parents who care for children with life-shortening conditions."

Once the Community Pharmacy Network has been established within Forth Valley, CHAS aims to spread this network across Scotland and explore how community and primary care-based pharmacists can provide a direct patient-facing medicines review and symptom control service for children with life-shortening conditions.

Anne Wilson, specialist palliative care pharmacist at NHS Forth Valley, added: "Children should have timely access to palliative care medicine and the 14 community pharmacists who are participating in the network are spread geographically across Forth Valley.

"They will hold key medication for palliative paediatric patients and help with any questions parents might have.

"The impact a community pharmacist can have on these patients in Forth Valley is extremely significant."

Encompassing 14 community pharmacies in Forth Valley, all of which are part of the existing adult palliative care network, this pilot will be regularly evaluated, helping shape the further development of community pharmacy-led services responsive to the needs of children with life-shortening conditions, and their families.