Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Protecting the UK Public Interests in NHS Community Pharmacy published in September 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of that report's findings on community pharmacy closures.

We are monitoring pharmacy closures and the impact on access to pharmaceutical services. Access remains good with 80% of the population living within 20 minutes’ walk of a pharmacy and double the number of pharmacies in more deprived areas.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 commits £2.592 billion per year. On 22 September, following negotiations with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, we announced a non-recurrent additional investment of £100 million.

Future planning for the sector following the conclusion of the five-year deal will be informed by a range of evidence, including information provided by the sector representative organisations.