The community pharmacy bodies, along with England's largest pharmacy chains, have urged the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to resolve fund and workforce crisis
in the sector.
In the joint letter the Chief Executives of Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), Company Chemists' Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association
(NPA) and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), along with Boots, Lloydspharmacy, Well and Rowlands Pharmacy, said they are pleased to see Government
now recognising the key role that community pharmacy' could have in alleviating the strain on other NHS services.
However, the associations also warn that although the sector is ready to support, 'this will not be possible unless pharmacy is properly funded.'
Janet Morrison, PSNC Chief Executive, said: "The Prime Minister should also know that community pharmacies are also facing a crisis. They need sustainable investment,
urgently, if we are to avoid devasting consequences for pharmacies and for their patients."
The letter calls on Government to help pharmacy to resolve the funding, workforce and capacity issues engulfing the sector. It said: "Community pharmacies are in
crisis and after 7 years of 30% funding cuts have reached their limit."
Labour MP Barry Gardiner has raised concerns that the £645 million cash injection announced by the government for community pharmacy is, in effect, 'frozen
funding' for the next two years.
Speaking on Tuesday (May 9) on the BBC's Politics Live, Gardiner said funding for community pharmacies "was cut before 2015, then it was frozen and now the latest
announcement says that it's going to be frozen for a further two years."
He said with a current national contract, which already represented a 25 per cent funding cut in real terms, it was not appropriate to ask for community pharmacy
"to take on more work" without adequate support.
"I heard the prime minister earlier this morning (May 9) on TV saying 'we are investing more in pharmacies'.
"No you are not. You just concluded a contract that says for the next two years it will be absolutely flatlined."
He added that "there will be no more money" for community pharmacy and that steeply rising costs due to inflation were "eating into that contract's health".
Gardiner said community pharmacists "do a phenomenal job" but regretted that from a total of just 11,000, some 700 pharmacies have been lost due to funding cuts.
Trade bodies have reiterated the call for more funding in response to the reports that ministers are considering a Pharmacy First scheme amid the NHS strike.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that pharmacies could be drafted in to help the NHS to cope when other healthcare workers take industrial action.
But, a PSNC committee member has warned on Monday that the government suggestions are "categorically impossible" without extra funding.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has echoed the sentiment, saying pharmacy network is on the brink of collapse.
"We welcome plans for a Pharmacy First scheme in England. However, after eight years of funding cuts, the pressures on community pharmacies are simply untenable,"
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said.
Two dozen parliamentarians from across the political spectrum have called on the prime minister to act as a wave of pharmacy closures in recent years has
threatened to spiral out of control.
A letter to the prime minister signed by 24 MPs and peers has warned that worse could be yet to come after "spiralling business costs" and "year after year of real
terms funding cuts" have led to hundreds of pharmacy closures.
New data from the PSNC shows that over 639 local pharmacies have been lost in England since 2016.
"This is the equivalent to just short of one pharmacy closure per constituency", the cross-party group warned.
The letter comes as MPs came together at a parliamentary summit to call for pharmacies to be embraced as a "game-changer" for tackling healthcare backlogs and taking
pressure off other areas of the NHS. A 'Future of Pharmacy' event was attended by 53 parliamentarians on July 5 in the Palace of Westminster.
At the event parliamentarians heard directly from frontline pharmacists and representatives of pharmacy bodies where a map of constituency-specific pharmacy numbers
was also unveiled, with details of the number of pharmacy closures in MPs' local area.
harac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have announced their long-term
partnership to allow pharmacies to deliver the broad range of services needed to support the public.
The NPA and Charac will collaborate with members of the NPA and beyond to accelerate the necessary digital transition of independent community pharmacies,
particularly given their importance to poorer communities and less advantaged individuals at high risk due to potential pharmacy closures.
The partnership is part of the NPA's efforts to improve the online presence of community pharmacies, including patient application, online booking, website design,
and a delivery service. With Charac similarly dedicated to bettering digital interaction with patients, the new joint ecosystem will provide pharmacies with the
necessary funding and cutting-edge technology to aid delivery of primary care.
After the government announced to award pay rise to pubic sector workers, pharmacy trade bodies have expressed their disappointment at the neglect shown
towards funding crisis in community pharmacy.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chair, Andrew Lane, said: "Our sector can't help but feel utterly neglected after seven years of crushing real terms cuts
to pharmacy funding, amounting to half a billion pounds, and no hint of any relief to come.
"This week's public sector pay awards, which include a large number of our health service colleagues, highlight that there's an unresolved funding crisis in
community pharmacy which needs urgent attention."
"Four months into this financial year, there is as yet no clarity even on current arrangements."
"After stepping up to tackle Covid and keep the wheels on the NHS, the sector deserves better than to be neglected in this way," Andrew opines.
Responding to an MP's question in the House of Commons, prime minister Rishi Sunak reiterated his deep concern for the future of UK community pharmacies,
stressing their commitment to enhancing the sector with an additional £645 million in funding through the Pharmacy First initiative.
At the recent Prime Minister's Questions last Wednesday, Angela Richardson, the Conservative MP for Guildford, raised the issue of rising pharmacy closures,
revealing that Guildford recently lost two neighbouring pharmacies.
Highlighting that empowering local pharmacies is a key part of this government's plan to cut waiting lists, she asked Sunak whether he would agree that it is
vital for residents to have access to "a good, efficient, and above all, local pharmacy."
In response, Sunak said: "I care deeply about the future of our community pharmacies."
A combination of factors, including the doctors' strike, medicine shortages, and funding scarcity, indicates that this upcoming winter could be the most
challenging period for both community pharmacies and the NHS, Community Pharmacy England has said.
In a September 4 blog post, CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison emphasised that the relentless pressures show no signs of easing. "Pharmacy businesses, like
numerous other sectors, are grappling with the challenges of staying afloat in the current economic climate, compounded by the detrimental effects of historical
funding cuts."
"The doctors' strike, despite ongoing assurances from the Health Secretary that their pay deal is final, will inevitably exacerbate the demand for both primary
and secondary care, leading people to turn to their local pharmacies for assistance," she added. "This, in turn, will heighten the pressure on community pharmacies."
"Whatever the coming winter brings I am sure of two things: that community pharmacies are going to be more critical to the health of the population than ever
before, and that your representatives here will be fighting on all fronts to get you the help that you need."
The trade bodies and four largest pharmacy chains in England, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, warning that the sector
needs urgent investment for sustainability.
The letter from AIMp, CCA, NPA, PSNC, Boots UK, Lloyds Pharmacy, Well, and Phoenix UK, warned that the 30 per cent real terms funding cuts that pharmacies have faced
over the past seven years have left many businesses in a cashflow crisis.
The letter said that the government is facing a choice over the future of the country's 11,000+ community pharmacies, with permanent closures likely and medicines
supply at risk if no urgent action is taken.
"If the funding situation is not addressed, the sector is likely to move rapidly towards many permanent closures of pharmacies."
The organisations say that once these closures start, they will be hard to stop, as the sector is now so fragile other pharmacies would struggle to pick up the slack.
Eighty-five per cent of adults responding to a survey commissioned by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have agreed that community pharmacies are
underfunded and that the sector needs more investment to be able to do the work it does.
The survey of 1,000+ adults in England was carried out online between August 26 and 30 by an agency called Research Without Barriers (RWB) on behalf of the NPA.
Pharmacies in England are now paid less for providing NHS services than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, after years of real terms cuts.
Seventy-four per cent respondents think it's unfair that community pharmacies in England have had no increase in funding for eight years, despite rising business
costs.
When asked whether it's fair or unfair that pharmacies in England are now paid less for providing NHS services than they were before the pandemic, 81 per cent of
people replied that it's unfair.
Community pharmacies will be able to deliver approximately 15 million blood pressure screenings by 2026, revealed the Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s new
research.
This will also prevent 15,000 people from suffering heart attacks or strokes. CCA has called the Government to take up their offer and commission pharmacies as the
first port of call for cardiovascular care.
"Thousands of lives can be saved with ambitious commissioning and the investment to match," said CCA.
There is an opportunity to use the expertise of community pharmacy to go further and provide the care these newly identified patients' need. To do this the sector
needs funding and workforce.
The association said: "Community pharmacy is under great financial pressure, suffering a real term funding cut of over 30% over 8 years. With funding, the sector can
transform to deliver this critical need for patients.
Whilst there are plans to train Independent Prescribers (IPs), there are no clear roles for them to use these skills. There is a need to accelerate training plans to
allow pharmacists to deliver the service described here and play their part in CVD management."
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised concerns over the upcoming increase in the National Living Wage, saying it will make things even worse
for local pharmacies already facing nearly a decade of cuts in real terms.
Scheduled to go up from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour starting April, the National Living Wage rise is expected to put a lot of financial pressure on many pharmacies.
The NPA says "it will cost them over £10,000 in salary bills, and for some, even more, without getting more from the NHS funds. and has asked the government to
deal with the ongoing problem of underfunding for community pharmacies.
The association has warned that without additional funds, pharmacies could face staff layoffs or reduced services to cover the increased wages, calling for
a "comprehensive new funding deal to prevent further closures of vital local services, which have been shutting at the rate of eight a week."
Two pharmacies in Rotherham are set to merge into one, if plans are approved by NHS England.
Weldricks Pharmacy has applied to merge its two Swinton branches, on Church Street and the Crown Street Surgery.
If approved, the branch on Church Street will be modernised, and additional consulting rooms will be added, while the Crown Street site will be closed.
Rotherham Met Borough Council's health and wellbeing board are set to make a representation supporting the plans, and say that analysis by public health "outlines
the very minimal impact that this change will have in terms of pharmacy access in the borough based on the service offer, opening hours and walking times to this
branch and the main pharmacy."
They say the current opening hours will remain the same, and there will be no disruption to services during the consolidation.
A statement from Weldricks adds that the decision to merge is down to funding cuts, and the company could go out of business if operating costs are not reduced -
'despite having been a local, family-owned business for almost 100 years'.
The Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has called the recent announcement of six per cent pay rise for the public sector workforce as 'unfair' for the
community pharmacy sector.
On Thursday (13 June), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that pay scales for most doctors and dentists will increase by at least a
six per cent this year after the government accepted the recommendations from the independent pay review bodies in full.
Responding to the recent announcement Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said: "The public sector workforce pay rise will be welcome news for its recipients given
the huge inflationary pressures and the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis. But for community pharmacy owners - who have faced 30% funding cuts in recent
years and who are struggling to meet their rising wage costs - this feels unfair, and very far from good news.
At Community Pharmacy England we are fully focused on the current financial and operational pressures and fighting hard for a sustainable long-term funding
arrangement.
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) Chief Executive, Janet Morrison met with the new Pharmacy Minister, Dame Andrea Leadsom MP this week and discussed a
range of critical topics, including funding and pressures.
Janet informed the minister that community pharmacies continue to face immense financial pressures, and highlighted the need for an improved core contract.
She told the minister that 35-50 per cent real term cuts and rising costs have led to closures, consolidations and cashflow.
This has weakened the capacity for the network to respond to displaced patients, increased risk in terms of the safety of medicine supply, and led to loss of
service for communities in the most deprived areas, she said.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) survey revealed that 93 per cent of respondents experienced 'at least one month' of negative cash flow across their
pharmacy business in 2022.
Nine out of 10 pharmacy owners responding to NPA survey said they made a net loss dispensing medicines for the NHS during 2022, for at least one month of the year.
According to the poll, 48 per cent of them lost money on this core NHS service for six months or more. 45 per cent said their overall outgoings had exceeded overall
income in at least six months of the year.
NPA Chair Andrew Lane said: "This survey shows the bleak financial reality facing many independent pharmacies after years of underfunding. Dispensing at a loss and
negative cashflow is clearly unsustainable."
"This funding crisis must be addressed urgently or pharmacies will fall into a spiral of declining services and ultimately widespread closures, he added. "Tragically,
the story is playing out very much in line with independent research commissioned by the NPA last year, which warned of a nationwide financial emergency in our
sector."
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has welcomed the Chancellor's commitment to increase the NHS budget, hoping that 'community pharmacies benefit from
this investment'.
The association is urging the government to address years of underfunding so that community pharmacies can avoid staff lay-offs to cover the increasing costs of the
national living wage.
The government's uplift of the National Living Wage was confirmed in its latest budget announcement to tackle the cost of living crisis. The NHS budget will also be
increased in each of the next two years by £3.3bn.
A recent NPA commissioned report by Professor David Taylor from University College London predicted that wage inflation and other cost pressures could combine with
funding cuts to lead to cut-backs and pharmacy closures.
Anyone who has studied the finances of an independent pharmacy business knows that money is tight. In many cases, they are perilously close to failure.
It's easy to assume they are retail businesses, cashing in on the higher public profile the sector has enjoyed during the pandemic years. But those have been mere
words. Certainly, the pandemic represented a halcyon period for the profession.
We engendered a feeling of normality, dependable and accessible to society. We played a substantive role in keeping people out of hospitals and giving the vulnerable
the ability to live independently from their own homes for longer. We mobilised to smash flu vaccination records and deliver covid jabs.
But despite the warm words of a new service based future and the incessant expressions of gratitude contractors desperately need the headroom to prepare, plan and
invest. Platitudes, press releases and assurances of a bright clinical future are small comfort to what is needed and that's cash on the table. As the adage goes:
"Talk is cheap, money buys houses."
Cashflow crisis
Since 2016, we have witnessed almost 650 pharmacies fall by the wayside. Some may have merged; the majority, however, have perished due to the relentless need for an
increasing cashflow. It is cash, or rather the lack of it, which is killing independent pharmacies.