As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces the forthcoming UK general election, pharmacy bodies are calling on all political parties to commit to solving the
issues facing the sector.
The next UK general election will be held on 4 July, Sunak announced it on Wednesday afternoon during a press conference outside 10 Downing Street.
"As the election is called it's imperative that any incoming government addresses the crisis in primary care and the looming cliff edge facing pharmacies, which
for millions of people are the front door to the NHS and a crucial source of frontline health care," said Paul Rees, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy
Association (NPA).
Noting that the first responsibility of the government is to keep its people safe and healthy, he emphasised the importance of addressing the "deep funding gap
that is pushing record numbers of pharmacies to the edge of closure and beyond, exacerbating the issues of waiting lists for GPs and hospital care."
As the countdown to the next UK election begins, the King's Fund has identified three priorities to improve public health.
The national action would be taken by the future government to fix the "NHS and social care" in the country.
The health policy think tank said it would prioritise "improving access to out-of-hospital care", making "careers in health and social care" more attractive
and tackling the biggest risk factors affecting people's health.
It highlighted that workforce crisis is one of the biggest challenges faced by the National Health Service (NHS) and social care services in England while
citing "years of poor planning and fragmented responsibilities" as the reason for widespread staff shortages.
As per the King's Fund's data, there were more than 125,000 vacancies across the NHS workforce in England in October 2023, not including primary care vacancies
such as GPs, and 152,000 vacant posts in the adult social care workforce.
"It is crucial that patients can access care when they need it, whether from a pharmacist or a GP, " Paul Rees, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy
Association (NPA) has said.
In response to a recent survey conducted by the General Medical Council (GMC) highlighting alarming trends among General Practitioners (GPs), the NPA has issued
a warning about the growing crisis in the UK's primary care system.
Rees emphasised the urgent need for government intervention, saying, "Only by reversing these cuts and providing pharmacies with a new funding deal will we be
able to end the 8am scramble for appointments."
The GMC survey reveals that there is a significant increase in the number of doctors reducing their working hours to safeguard their wellbeing, spotlighting
concerns about the long-term impact on patient care.
According to the report, nearly half of GPs ( 48 per cent) are struggling to manage their workload, with several resorting to decreasing their hours or declining
additional work to protect their mental and physical health.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has published a 'pharmacy paradox paper' which outlines how community pharmacy can match the ambition amidst the
workforce crisis.
The sector is experiencing a workforce crisis, exacerbated by NHS recruitment of community pharmacists into primary care networks. Pharmacies are also facing a
significant increase in demand on services.
CCA said, "A stretched and reduced pharmacy workforce is having to deliver more and more. This is unsustainable."
"Unless the tension between ambition and capacity is addressed, there is a risk that community pharmacies will not only not meet their potential, but the existing
offer could be compromised."
Therefore, the association has set out solutions to resolve the current paradox between ambition and reality.
As part of a new blueprint for primary care, the government today (May 9) announced an investment of £645 million over two years to expand community pharmacy
services in England.
In a statement, NHS England said: "For the first time ever, patients who need prescription medication will be able to get it directly from a pharmacy, without a
GP appointment, for seven common conditions including earache, sore throat, or urinary tract infections."
Prime minister Rishi Sunak hopes that the measures will help end the "all-too stressful wait on the end of the phone for patients" by freeing up 15 million slots at
doctors' surgeries over the next two years.
"We will end the 8am rush and expand the services offered by pharmacies, meaning patients can get their medication quickly and easily," he said
Almost half a million women will no longer need to speak to a practice nurse or GP to access oral contraception and will instead be able to pop into their local
pharmacy for it, according to the government announcement.
Blood checks for people suffering from moderate risk of heart attack or stroke conducted in community pharmacies will more than double from 900,000 last year to
2.5 million next year.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the "ambitious package" would help transform how care is provided within the health service "with pharmacies playing a
central role in managing the nation's health including providing lifesaving checks and medication for common conditions for the first time.
Campaigners have submitted an open letter to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), urging the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to
freeze prescription charges to keep people with long-term conditions alive and well.
The campaign is led by the Prescription Charges Coalition, which represents over 50 organisations, including Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacists'
Defence Association (PDA).
Currently, the prescription charge is £9.65 per item, and campaigners have asked the government to freeze it for 2024 and 2025 as people living with long-term
health conditions in England are "being forced to choose between heating, eating, and taking their vital medication on a daily basis."
In 2023, a study conducted by the Prescription Charges Coalition revealed that almost 10 per cent of survey participants had skipped medication in the previous
year due to the cost of prescriptions. This led to increased physical and mental health problems, as well as impacted the time they took off work.
Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Campaigns at Parkinson's UK, expressed deep concern that a further rise in the charge this
year will lead to people skipping or not taking the full dose of their medication, which will affect their health and put more pressure on the already under
pressure NHS.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s analysis on permanent closures of community pharmacies in England showed that there has been a net loss of 670
pharmacies between 2015 and 2022.
The analysis highlighted that 37 per cent of permanent closures of pharmacies and GP practices have occurred in the 20 per cent most deprived parts of England.
Current trends indicate that primary care 'cold spots' could soon emerge - areas where there is significantly reduced or inadequate access to a pharmacy or a GP.
The CCA's analysis shows that some of the most deprived neighbourhoods concentrated in the North West, the West Midlands and Yorkshire have faced the highest losses
of local pharmacies and GP practices since 2015.
It demonstrates that the trend of permanent closures amongst pharmacies and GP practices is worsening. Moreover, this burden is likely to be felt unevenly with
permanent closures occurring disproportionately in areas of high deprivation. Without action, deprived communities, where need is typically greater, may no longer
be able to access the GP and pharmacy services they require.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was questioned whether he 'will take urgent action to prevent pharmacy closure'.
At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in Parliament held on Wednesday (26 April) he replied, "we will continue to do everything we can to support community
pharmacies."
Labour MP for Knowsley and All-Party Pharmacy Group member, George Howarth said: "Given the chronic lack of capacity in the NHS, the Prime Minister will be aware
that community pharmacy can help deal with minor illnesses. But there is a problem on average 10 Pharmacy close every month in England."
Prime Minister was further asked "will he take urgent action to prevent further closing and commission a properly funded 'Pharmacy First' service for minor
illnesses?
Sunak replied: "I've been a wholehearted champion and believer in the role that community pharmacists can play. we want to make sure that they can do everything
to ease some of the pressures in primary care.