Pharmacies vote to cut services unless UK government acts over ‘crisis’

Pharmacies have said they will halt a number of services within weeks, including the end of free medicine deliveries and extended opening hours, unless the government drastically boosts funding for the sector to stem an “escalating crisis”.

In a high-turnout ballot run by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents independent community pharmacies, 99% of pharmacy owners said they were willing to limit their services in the interests of patient safety if improved funding was not forthcoming.

Leaders in the sector warned that a failure to boost funding for pharmacies would lead to further closures and said the “sense of anger” among pharmacy owners had intensified after the budget, citing the 6.7% increase in the national minimum wage and rise in employer national insurance (NI) contributions.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, the chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: “The community pharmacy sector is in an escalating crisis with a £1.7bn shortfall in its funding. This has got worse with the hike in the employer NI resulting in £12,000 extra costs annually for our members. As healthcare professionals, we believe that patients must not be caused suffering by any withdrawals of our members’ valuable and vital professional services.”

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Source: The Guardian, 14 November 2024