Navigating the shift: What the new Burnham Government means for community pharmacy

Blog from Chief Executive Janet Morrison

As we move into autumn, the direction of travel for health policy in England is becoming ever clearer. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s vision for a localised and prevention-focused health service signals a significant shift in how healthcare will be delivered.

Burnham’s ethos centres around healthcare being something that closely intersects social care and all aspects of daily life. Burnham and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Yvette Cooper, seem less keen than their predecessors to shift all healthcare decision-making to Westminster but are still keen to honour plans to abolish NHS England. The policy focus is already moving away from national targets and towards local neighbourhood delivery, tackling health inequalities, and integrating health with social care and local economies.

For community pharmacy, this shift presents both substantial opportunities and real risks that we must navigate carefully.

The focus on shifting the NHS from a reactive ‘sickness service’ to a proactive prevention model sits squarely with the services community pharmacy provides day in day out. There is clear scope for us to continue to expand our role beyond traditional dispensing by building on our clinical capabilities in cardiovascular risk, women’s health, obesity, and medicines optimisation. With the right investment there is much scope for development within the current contract – maximising existing services, and through the expansion of Pharmacy First and introduction of Independent Prescribing relieving pressure on GPs and offering wider high street access to minor ailments and other health advice.

We also have a vital part to play in establishing pharmacies as a permanent fixture of national vaccination infrastructure, expanding into areas like childhood flu and HPV catch-ups. Positioned on high streets and in local neighbourhoods, pharmacies are low-cost, accessible health hubs that can relieve pressure on general practice, reduce hospital admissions, and directly support local economic revival. This remains a strong story to tell, and one that will appeal to politicians and commissioners, both national and local.

However, ambition must be matched by reality. One of the biggest risks facing community pharmacy now is the prospect of being asked to take on additional clinical responsibilities, expanded vaccination schemes, and digital integrations without the necessary funding, workforce, or operational capacity. Pushing more work onto already stretched teams without proper support will only undermine existing core services.

Furthermore, as commissioning becomes increasingly localised around neighbourhoods, we must guard against a postcode lottery where pharmacy opportunities vary depending on the pace and quality of local healthcare decision-making. We will also need to demonstrate our value alongside general practice and other local providers, underscoring that funding for community pharmacy is a route to safeguard the entirety of primary care and the wider NHS, by alleviating cost and system pressures elsewhere.

With the 2026/27 funding settlement agreed in the spring, the vital question is what happens next. In a tight fiscal environment, Community Pharmacy England is making the case to new Ministers, the Treasury, and decision-makers across Burnham’s Government (including through new policy machines like No.10 North) that investing in pharmacy yields direct savings elsewhere. We have a strong investment case to back this up, and will be continuing to promote that at the upcoming political party conference season when we’ll no doubt learn more about this Government’s policy thinking and goals.

To deliver the Government’s ambitions for neighbourhood care, prevention, and shifting activity out of acute hospitals, sustained investment and integration in pharmacy infrastructure, IT, premises, and training is a non-negotiable. We will continue to make this point, and to champion the sector as an essential partner in building a healthier, more sustainable health service.