Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Freedom to Speak up Guardians have been nominated in community pharmacies; and whether his Department holds information on names of those Guardians.

The Department does not hold information on the number or names of Freedom to Speak up Guardians in community pharmacies.

NHS England is responsible for issuing the guidance on Freedom to Speak Up in primary care and has provided the following response:

The number and names of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians in community pharmacies is not held centrally. Guidance for primary care providers was published in November 2016 on the NHS England website and a number of models for Freedom to Speak Up are detailed within that guidance, including having a named Guardian who is independent of the line management chain and not a direct employee. NHS England is working with the National Guardian's Office to assess the support that primary care providers, including community pharmacies, may need to comply with this guidance.