Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with community pharmacies on Government support for their services during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and I meet regularly with key stakeholders to determine the impact of COVID-19.

In respect of stakeholders representing community pharmacy, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have hosted regular meetings with a wide range of primary care stakeholders, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, to discuss the pressures community pharmacies are facing and what further support they need to be able to support patients in their communities.

I will be hosting further meetings with community pharmacy stakeholders shortly to discuss winter planning, further rises in COVID-19 infections and the implications for community pharmacy and their communities. I visited a community pharmacy on 22 September to discuss the role of community pharmacists and their teams in supporting patients during COVID-19.