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 independent community pharmacies.

As identified by Lord Darzi’s review, primary care is under pressure and in crisis.

The previous government did not conclude the consultation on the funding and contractual arrangements for community pharmacy in England. However, I am looking at this as a matter of urgency.

This Government is committed to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and developing an independent pharmacy prescribing service