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 engage with independent pharmacy owners to (a) address financial pressures and (b) prevent pharmacy closures.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. To support these private contractors, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities to help them deliver quality NHS services.

The Department and NHS England are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. Community Pharmacy England is recognised by the Government as the body that we consult on the community pharmacy contract and is formulated to represent the views of all pharmacy contractors including independent pharmacies.