Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to pharmacies in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies. These assessments must be kept under review. The Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board consulted on the draft PNA for 2025 to 2028 between 6 January and 8 March 2025 and was satisfied that there were no gaps in provision. No pharmacies have closed in the area since the analysis was undertaken.

Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.