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The Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s research has found that between 2015 and 2022 more than 40 per cent of permanent community pharmacy closures took place in the 20 per cent most deprived parts of England. The association has analysed the NHS data and found that between 2015 and 2022, 808 pharmacies closed permanently in England. In that period, only 138 new pharmacies opened - a net loss of 670 community pharmacies. It also examined where permanent closures had taken place. "41% of net permanent closures had taken place in the top 20% most deprived areas in England. Meanwhile, only 9% of net permanent closures took place in the top 20% least deprived areas." Although the latest figures for 2021/22 suggest that the overall rate of closures may be slowing down, the proportion of pharmacies permanently shutting in more deprived areas has only increased. An even larger share of pharmacies that permanently shut in 2021/22 occurred in the most deprived areas compared with the previous fiscal year: 44% of net closures took place within the bottom two IMD deciles.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has called on the government to increase investment in general practice, stating that they are now "seriously struggling" due to years of underfunding and neglect. As evidence of the mounting workload pressures faced by GPs, new research published by the RCGP has revealed that GPs are now responsible for an average of 2,300 patients each. Concerningly, the ratio has become even worse in areas of higher deprivation, where the need is greatest. The RCGP research found that over the past six years, the average number of patients per GP in areas with the highest level of income deprivation has risen by 260, marking a 12 per cent increase-nearly double the rate observed in the least deprived areas. In these areas, one GP is responsible for 2,450 patients, which is over 300 more patients than their counterparts in the least deprived regions. Addressing the RCGP's annual conference 2024 in Liverpool on Thursday, College Chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: "When I became a GP, it was normal to have a list size between 1,600-1,800 patients. The role was busy and challenging, but it was manageable. Our latest figures reveal that the average is now 2,300.

Poverty not only takes a significant toll on people's health but also leads to additional costs for the National Health Service (NHS). Rise in deep poverty, cost-of-living crisis, and high pressure on NHS services have worsened the situation, according to a study published by The King's Fund this week. The report underscored that poverty and deprivation contribute to a greater prevalence of diseases, difficulties in accessing health care, late or delayed treatment, and worse health outcomes. These challenges could be seen across various NHS services, spanning from emergency care to dental services Additionally, it revealed that 30 per cent of people living in the most deprived areas have turned to 999, 111, A&E or a walk-in centre because they could not access a GP appointment. In 2016, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimated the cost of poverty on health care at £29 billion (£34 billion in current prices). As the proportion of people living in deep poverty has risen, the situation has worsened. In 2021/22, six million people were living in very deep poverty, up from 4.5 million two decades ago. Currently, more than one in five people in the UK are estimated to be living in poverty, the report noted. Deprivation is linked to a range of diet-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as mental illness. According to the report, the depression rate is two times higher among people living in the most deprived areas, compared to the least deprived areas.

The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has highlighted a worrying trend of increasing numbers of pharmacy closures in England, which is disproportionately affecting the most deprived communities in the country. With 338 more pharmacies closed this year, an average of eight pharmacies closed per week, there has been a net loss of 1,008 pharmacies in England since 2015, the CCA said. Between 2015 and June 2023, maximum number of pharmacies were closed in the 20 per cent most deprived neighbourhoods of the country, with 37.5 per cent of the total closures occurring in Indices of Multiple Deprivation deciles 1 and 2. The association has raised concern that "permanent closures will undermine healthcare accessibility in deprived areas, where access tends to be more limited despite greater need."

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.

The UK recorded an estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 62,314 in 2019, a new report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are less likely to respond to treatment and can cause serious complications, including bloodstream infections, sepsis and hospitalisation. The national surveillance data published by the UKHSA showed that E. coli - a common cause of urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, accounted for 65 per cent of antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in the last five years. The English Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescribing and Utilisation Report (ESPAUR) highlighted a stark disparity in infection rates. People in the most deprived communities were 42.6 per cent more likely to experience an antibiotic-resistant infection in 2023 compared to those in the least deprived areas, a significant rise from 29.4 per cent in 2019. Overall, resistant infection rates in the most deprived areas of England increased by 9.5 per cent between 2019 and 2023.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has warned that patients in deprived areas could face even greater difficulty accessing GP services if funding for the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme (TERS) is withdrawn. In a letter to NHS England, the College is calling for confirmation that TERS will be extended for 2025/26 and beyond. The scheme, launched in 2016, was designed to attract GP trainees to economically disadvantaged areas, where healthcare provision has historically been inadequate. TERS offers a one-off payment of £20,000 to GP trainees who commit to working in hard-to-recruit-to locations. Over the years, the scheme has successfully recruited over 2,000 GPs. However, with funding for 2025/26 yet to be confirmed, the RCGP is worried that it could be cut from April. The College has expressed concern that discontinuing the scheme could "make it even more difficult to recruit GPs to work in deprived and under-doctored areas where patients are already significantly disadvantaged compared to those in more affluent areas of the country."

A new analysis by the Nuffield Trust has revealed that NHS trusts in England are experiencing their worst financial deterioration in a decade, raising concerns that the government's reform plans could be at risk. The report found that the NHS trust sector, which makes up three-quarters of NHS day to day spending, recorded a £1.2 billion overspend last year, amounting to 0.9% of income in 2023/24. This is double the previous year's overspend, recorded at £448 million, and significantly worse than the modest financial surpluses seen in 2020/21 and 2021/22. The sector is in "as precarious a position it was in immediately prior to the pandemic," the report said. NHS trusts in the most deprived areas suffered the worst financial deterioration in 2023-24, with North West and Midlands reported the deepest deficits, accounting for 2.2% and 1.5% of revenues, respectively. The North East and Yorkshire have also seen the steepest declines in financial health since 2022/23. The underlying gap between stable incomes and outgoings across the provider sector was at least £4.5 billion last year.

Rural areas have been hit the hardest by a wave of pharmacy closures over the past two years, according to a new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). The analysis published today revealed that nearly nine in ten council areas across England have suffered the loss of vital pharmacies and warned that many rural areas risk becoming "pharmacy deserts" if the current closure rates continue. Additionally, the NPA, which represents independent community pharmacies, warned that England faces a significant risk to the availability of essential medicines if "a decade of underfunding and closures" is not addressed. It is calling on the government to reverse the 40 per cent real-terms cuts to community pharmacy budgets over the past decade, which have led to the closure of over 1,500 pharmacies and forced many others to reduce their opening hours. NPA Chief Executive, Paul Rees said: "These shocking statistics show how a growing number of areas are at risk of becoming pharmacy deserts, with people in rural towns and villages having to travel longer and longer distances to get hold of the medication they need.

Wes Streeting's speech at the Labour Party Conference 2024 outlines several key health and social care reforms, which hold significant implications for community pharmacy in England. His focus on reforming and rebuilding the NHS to ensure fair, universal access to care, with prevention and early intervention at its core, presents both opportunities and challenges for community pharmacy. Here are the potential implications: 1. Prevention Focus Streeting's vision of a shift from a reactive, hospital-based model to a preventive healthcare system presents a promising future for community pharmacies. These changes could significantly reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals, integrating pharmacies more closely into primary care networks and enhancing their role in preventive care. 2. Digital Transformation The move from an "analogue to digital" NHS could see community pharmacies adopting more digital tools and systems for service delivery. This would likely involve greater use of digital prescribing, telehealth consultations, and AI-driven services. Pharmacies will need to invest in digital infrastructure and ensure that pharmacy professionals are trained to operate within a more tech-centric environment. 3. Reform and Redistribution of Services Streeting's plans to extend choice and equitable access to services mean that community pharmacies could become integral to providing care in underserved or disadvantaged areas. With a focus on decentralising healthcare and bringing it closer to local communities, community pharmacies could play a more significant role in supporting healthcare delivery in areas where GP services are stretched. This may include expanding access to pharmacy services in the most deprived areas, aligning with Labour's emphasis on addressing health inequalities.

NHS England has launched a prescription savings campaign, particularly for those living with long-term conditions. The campaign is specifically for individuals residing in deprived areas as they receive more prescriptions than people in affluent areas. It is also known that people with low income could be entitled to help with costs or free prescriptions depending on their circumstances. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), an active member of the Prescription Charges Coalition, is actively striving to eliminate prescription charges in England as well. They are focussing on "NHS England's current efforts to minimise charges so that members practising in England can alert patients to this possibility".

A group of 20 MPs from the different political parties, including Dame Priti Patel and Judith Cummins, have written a joint letter to health minister Andrea Leadsom, calling for urgent action to address the pressures faced by community pharmacies. Taking note of rising pharmacy closures, they have highlighted the need for more investment and support from the government. Recent NHS figures showed that around 1,400 pharmacies have closed permanently since October 2016, and many more are withdrawing services or reducing their opening hours, particularly in deprived areas. The MPs have urged the pharmacy minister to commit to making essential changes including a fair and sustainable core funding model, an effective implementation of the Pharmacy First service and an expansion into other clinical service areas.

As Chair of the Council of Healthcare Professionals at Asthma + Lung UK, I'm deeply concerned about the invisible threat of air pollution on the health of our communities. It's a crisis that disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged, exacerbating health inequalities. Shockingly, for every 100 people who die from asthma in the UK, 31 are from the most deprived areas, compared to only 12 from the least. Studies have shown that the most economically disadvantaged are often those worst affected by air pollution, particularly because they often live near busy roads and yet are least likely to own a car. Wherever we live, the chance of breathing air that exceeds the World Health Organization's recommended pollution limits is alarmingly high. For the millions of Brits with lung conditions like asthma and COPD breathing in toxic air can harm their health and quality of life. Exposure to air pollution is directly linked to respiratory symptoms, hospitalisations, and the likelihood of developing respiratory diseases, even shortening life expectancy. Yet many people remain unaware of how much polluted air affects them. Often the first point of contact in healthcare, community pharmacists are well positioned to educate patients, especially those in polluted areas, about the impact of air pollution on their health.

The health secretary, Steve Barclay was asked over the delay of 'Pharmacy First' model in England that was proposed by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) last year, at the Health Committee evidence session held on Tuesday (31 January). Taiwo Owatemi MP (Chair of the Pharmacy APPG) asked whether he was adhering to his statutory responsibility to ensure continued access to medicines and cited the CCA's closures in areas of deprivation research. Barclay replied that the government is 'investing more'. He said, "We put an extra 100 million on top of the 2.6 billion a year we commit to community pharmacy to expand the range of clinical services. We've got over 2 million patients that have been referred to community pharmacy from NHS." He further added: "One of the issues I'm very keen on is to explore what more we can do in pharmacy not least given the pressures on GP and the opportunity to look at what it is currently people go to GPS for where potentially the risk to do more at the pharmacy and we're already doing that."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called the future prime minister to deliver on the commitments made by the previous health secretaries to reform primary care through a 'pharmacy first' approach and fairly fund community pharmacies to avoid closures. In an open letter, the NPA has urged Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the two leadership contenders of the Conservative Party and prime ministerial candidates, to think radically about the role of England's 11,000 pharmacies, which are on the frontline of healthcare across the country. NPA also highlighted how pharmacies could help clear the NHS backlog, free up millions more GP appointments, dramatically improve access to primary health care and do more to prevent ill health and support people with long term medical conditions. "Because of our unparalleled presence in deprived areas, we also have great potential to level up access to healthcare and address health inequalities. We set these ideas out in How We Can Help, which is an improvement plan already welcomed by many of your colleagues."

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.

Dr Amanda Doyle has been appointed as NHS England as director of primary and community care. Prior to her new role, Amanda had joined NHS England and NHS Improvement as North West Regional Director on 2 August 2021 and previously she was the Chief Clinical Officer for West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Blackpool CCG and Fylde and Wyre CCG. Amanda was also the Integrated Care System Lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria, leading a large health and care transformation programme across the patch. She has been a GP for more than 20 years, practising in a large practice in a deprived area of Blackpool, which, in addition to primary medical services, provides a range of urgent care services for patients across the Fylde Coast. Amanda was the Co-Chair of NHS Clinical Commissioners from 2013 to 2018. She was Senior Responsible Officer for the primary care component of the Long Term Plan and was involved in the leadership of the health inequalities, prevention and personalisation elements.

More pharmacies should do NHS Health Checks to improve access, a new study that focuses on ways to improve the lives of people living with obesity, recommends. The report, Levelling Up Obesity Care, by pharma giant Novo Nordisk follows a series of roundtables with patient advocates, healthcare professionals and academics to generate understanding on the future of obesity care in England. Amongst its recommendations, the report says that 'to widen access and alleviate pressure on GP services, consideration should be given to expanding NHS Health Checks in community pharmacy'. NHS Health Checks include a measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI). Those most likely to benefit from a Health Check include people who live in more deprived areas, and are more likely to be living with obesity, says the report.

According to the report, in 2022-23, 4.4 million people were diagnosed with diabetes "Bold action is needed to reverse the rising trend in type 2 diabetes, overturn our broken food environment, and give every child and young person the best possible chance to grow up in good health," retorts Chief Executive of Diabetes UK. A newly published report, Reverse the Trend - Reducing type 2 diabetes in young people, reveals a troubling 40 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes diagnoses among younger people from 2016-17 to 2022-23. The report highlights that almost 168,000 individuals under 40 in the UK are currently living with type 2 diabetes, an increase of over 47,000 since 2016-17. Historically associated with older adults, type 2 diabetes is now increasing more rapidly among younger populations, particularly affecting those from deprived areas and Black and South Asian communities.

Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has pledged to enhance the role of community pharmacies, particularly in deprived areas, by making better use of the skills of pharmacy teams. In a video message at the SIGMA UK Community Pharmacy Conference 2024 on Sunday, Kinnock also announced plans to expand the Pharmacy First initiative and introduce an independent prescribing service, making prescribing an integral part of the service delivered by community pharmacies. He said: "Since taking on the role of minister of state for care in government, my message has been very clear: we must get our fantastic primary care sector back on its feet to be able to deliver for our patients. "This government is committed to shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, and pharmacies will play a vital role in that." Kinnock acknowledged the pressures faced by the sector and expressed concerns that so many community pharmacies have exited the market over the past decade.