Pharmacy: North East
(asked on 21st February 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to pharmacies in the North East.
The following table shows the number of pharmacies on 31 December 2024, using the December 2024 NHS Pharmaceutical list:
Region | Number of National Health Service pharmacies on 31 December 2024 |
Hexham constituency | 16 |
Northumberland | 68 |
Newcastle | 56 |
North-East | 554 |
England | 10,443 |
The following table shows the number of pharmacies that opened and closed between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023:
Region | Closures | Openings | Net closures |
Hexham constituency | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Northumberland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
North-East | 2 | 2 | 0 |
England | N/A | N/A | 95 |
We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.
Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ homes free of charge. In rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can also supply medicines.