Community Pharmacies: Devon and the South-west

Sarah Dyke Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead) (LD)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Government support for community pharmacies in Devon and the South West.

I am delighted to have secured my first Westminster Hall debate. It is an honour to speak under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. At a time such as this, when we repeatedly hear from the Government and our communities that the national health service is under strain, is heading into yet another winter crisis and is struggling with capacity, community pharmacies need the greatest consideration for further Government support. I will start by focusing on the role of pharmacies in our society, and then I will outline the challenges and end on what we might be able to do with the right support and engagement.

I wish to thank all pharmacists and their staff in Tiverton and Minehead for the invaluable work they do day in, day out. In particular, I commend Neil and Anna, who have run Bampton pharmacy in my home village for decades, and have, along with the owners of Wiveliscombe pharmacy and Alcombe pharmacy, provided me with first-hand, real-life insights into the challenges they face.

The 15 pharmacies in my constituency of Tiverton and Minehead provide a vital service to their communities —something they share with every pharmacy across Devon, Somerset, the south-west and, indeed, the whole of the United Kingdom. As I am sure we will hear from other hon. Members, pharmacies are under threat from the economic environment in which they now operate. Core pharmacy funding has decreased in real terms by more than 30% since 2016, and costs have gone in exactly the opposite direction. The number of pharmacies open in England is lower than it has been in any year since 2008-09, even though their workload is 40% higher, in terms of annual prescriptions.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this really important debate. As she was laying out, community pharmacies face large funding gaps, but the rate of pharmacy closure is Glastonbury and Somerton is nearly double the national average. Does she agree that the Government should commit to publishing the independent economic analysis commissioned by NHS England in early 2025, when the work is concluded? Does she also agree that we must reform community pharmacy funding and put in place a sustainable, long-term funding model?

[Rachel Gilmour]

I agree with both courses of action, and I thank my hon. Friend very much for that important and interesting contribution.

The increase in workload is not sustainable, but that workload is too important not to receive proper backing from central Government as they make headway on their ambition to create what they have referred to, on occasion, as a neighbourhood health service.

Being a Devonian, I would like to go through things logically. First, I will talk about prescriptions. In Tiverton and Minehead, each pharmacy dispenses an average of 7,540 prescriptions every month. Across all 15 pharmacies, that is an average of 113,175 prescriptions each month across the constituency. That is 20,000 more prescriptions each month than the House of Commons Library says there are people in the entire constituency. Prescriptions that provide life-altering medications for constituents are the front door to the work of pharmacies. They are what most people think pharmacies do most often, but our pharmacies do a lot more work in our villages, towns and cities.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sarah Dyke]

I thank my hon. Friend for giving way. As he is rightly pointing out, the employer national insurance contributions, alongside the national living wage, are increasing the pressure on our important community pharmacies. Does he agree that the Government must urgently exempt pharmacies, GPs and dentists from the tax hikes to avoid considerable damage to the sector?

[Edward Morello]

I thank my hon. Friend for the intervention. She will be pleased to know that there is, in fact, a Liberal Democrat amendment right now to do exactly that, which I am sure we will all be voting for, and which we would ask the Government to take the opportunity to support. Community pharmacies already face slim margins under the current community pharmacy contractual framework funding model, and while initiatives such as Pharmacy First have brought new funding streams into the sector, they are not sufficient to offset the rising costs of operation, including wages, rents and utility bills.

Community pharmacies are lifelines for rural constituents like those in West Dorset. They provide crucial access to healthcare services, especially for those who struggle to reach GPs or hospitals. They are also uniquely vulnerable due to small patient bases and higher operational costs, and the Government should recognise those disparities. That means revisiting the funding framework, addressing workforce shortages and offering targeted financial relief to offset rising costs, including the impact of national insurance contributions.

Community pharmacies are not just businesses; they help to support our strained healthcare systems and are a part of our communities. For the people of West Dorset, and for millions across the country, we cannot afford to let them falter. I urge the Government to prioritise this issue, undertake a comprehensive review of the funding model, work closely with Community Pharmacy England and provide the support necessary to secure the future of our pharmacies and the vital service that they deliver in rural communities.