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 support (a) the rollout of independent prescribing and (b) the expansion of the community pharmacy workforce to enable pharmacies to deliver a broader range of clinical services as part of neighbourhood health services.

The Government recently announced a £340 million uplift to community pharmacy funding, a 10% increase, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider National Health Service. As part of this, we are funding the rollout of Independent Prescribing from Autumn 2026, building on the success of Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service to help pharmacists use their clinical skills and provide more on-the-spot care for common conditions.

To support this, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities including independent prescriber training, clinical examination skills, and training the next generation of education supervisors. From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers upon registration.