Our response to the BMA Pharmacy First letter

Pharmacy press

In response to the letter critical of the Pharmacy First service, as reported in The Times article, BMA leaders suggest GPs ‘overwhelm A&Es’ in revolt against NHS reforms, we issued the following statement to the press.

Our CEO, Janet Morrison said: 

“We are very troubled by this combative approach and are writing to The Times about it, with other national pharmacy organisations as co-signatories. The approach taken by these GPs suggests a total disregard for patients and for other health professionals, and does nothing to help resolve the ongoing crisis in the health service. As everyone in community pharmacy knows, Pharmacy First is supporting patients and helping to improve access to GP appointments – it is no surprise that the public wants to see pharmacies doing more services like this in the future. This is yet another example showing exactly why we need to see more coherent national commissioning of services which support collaboration between all healthcare professionals.”