Community Pharmacy in 2016-17 and Beyond Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care
David Mowat Portrait David Mowat
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This is the first time ever that we have given pharmacies a two-year planning horizon; usually, these negotiations relate to a one-year period. After the completion of this period, there will be further negotiations, at which point we will take forward what is right to do.

Steve Baker Portrait Mr Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con)
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I congratulate the Minister on the way he has sorted out this mess. Is this unnecessary and wasteful clustering of pharmacies not a direct consequence of the former Labour Government’s broken payment model?

David Mowat Portrait David Mowat
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I am not sure that takes us forward, but it is right to say that spending NHS money on payments of £25,000 to many pharmacies within half a mile of one other is the wrong way to spend money when we need more in cancer drugs funds, in GP surgeries and in accident and emergency—that is what we need to be doing.