Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support pharmacies in the recruitment and retention of pharmacists.

Community pharmacies are commercial organisations with responsibility for staff recruitment and retention. However, with the National Health Service, we continue to monitor workforce pressures in community pharmacy. Analysis undertaken by NHS England shows that reported workforce pressures facing community pharmacies is limited to geographical areas and are complex and multifactorial. NHS England is working with employers to provide support and maintain good access to NHS pharmaceutical services.

In addition to the £2.5 billion a year allocated to the sector, Health Education England is investing a further £15.9 million over the next four years to support the expansion of frontline pharmacy staff in primary and community care.