Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential cost savings to the NHS arising from the implementation of the Hub and Spoke model in community pharmacy.

The Impact Assessment was published alongside the consultation of the proposed hub and spoke reform, which was published on 13 May 2024. The assessment is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hub-and-spoke-dispensing/outcome/government-response-to-the-consultation-on-hub-and-spoke-dispensing#impact-assessment-and-equality-considerations

No costs savings were attributed to the National Health Service in that assessment. The monetised benefits relate to the reduction in operating costs at the spoke pharmacies due to the savings in dispensing time. The Impact Assessment will be updated when the Government lays the proposed legislation in Parliament.