Warnings over community pharmacy closures unless emergency funding is provided

Warnings have been given that many community pharmacies could soon disappear unless the Government urgently sorts contracts and provides emergency funding. 

Speaking to the Advertiser last week, David Dean, the CEO of Community Pharmacy Thames Valley, a non-profit statutory body representing 324 community pharmacies across the area, said the situation is 'desperate' – with an average of seven pharmacies closing a week across England.

Towards the end of last year, Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds embarked on a ‘Save Our Pharmacies’ campaign which has seen him visit pharmacies across the constituency to discuss their concerns.  

On Thursday, February 13, he met Mr Dean and the team at Boots Pharmacy in Maidenhead High Street.  

One of the main issues the team raised was surrounding Pharmacy First referrals, which send patients to their local pharmacy for a consultation on some minor illnesses, rather than a GP.

But Boots staff raised concerns these are not always right for the services provided by the pharmacy, meaning patients can end up going back and forth between the pharmacy and GPs.  

Laura Tull, trainee pharmacy technician, said: “A lot of it [the issues] is referrals from GP surgeries. 

“Sometimes, they’re not necessarily the right referrals for the services that we offer. 

“It just needs to be sorted really. It’s not fair on the patients to keep going backwards and forwards.” 

Mr Dean said referrals were a problem, particularly in the Royal Borough.  

He said: “Nationally, only 70 per cent of practices refer patients to their pharmacy for minor ailments. 

“Some practices won’t refer because they think 'well actually we’re okay, we don’t need to'. 

“Or when they do refer, they don’t use the software they have in the practice to help them highlight those patients that shouldn’t be sent to a pharmacy.” 

He added: “It’s getting better, but we could do with a lot more collaboration from our GP colleagues and a lot of them are overwhelmed, but pharmacies are there to help and support." 

In 2019, a five-year contractual funding package was agreed with the Government, up to 2024.

Last month, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced it had opened discussions with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) over the funding contractual framework for 2024-25 and 2025-26. 

Mr Dean said the contract talks with CPE are ‘rather late in the day’, adding that an emergency funding injection is needed now.  

Mr Dean explained the number of items being dispensed to patients has gone up and pharmacists are having to pay more for medications than they are reimbursed for by the Government. 

“There’s a real risk in local communities like Maidenhead that two or three pharmacies could close in the next few months,” he added.  

Mr Reynolds said it is good talks have started with the CPE, but they are ‘long overdue’ and action is needed.  

He added: “[Pharmacies] need our support. 

“I’m trying to see as many pharmacies as possible to hear their stories, and stories are very similar and the struggles and the challenges they are going through are very similar, but each has their own different perspective on it.” 

Mr Reynolds added that issues over referrals to pharmacies are ‘really concerning’ and said he will discuss it during his meeting with Frimley ICB on Thursday, March 20.  

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “Community pharmacy has a vital role to play as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community, through our 10-Year Health Plan. 

“We will work with the sector, making better use of the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, to build a service fit for the future.”