Community Pharmacy England makes submission to NHS review
Community Pharmacy England has set out the value, challenges and opportunities for the sector in its submission to Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS.
The independent investigation of NHS performance, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is examining the challenges facing the healthcare system ahead of the development of a new 10-year plan for health. Professor Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham, has been appointed to lead the investigation, which will report in September 2024.
As the sector’s representative body, Community Pharmacy England has submitted evidence to Lord Darzi’s team to ensure the performance of and challenges facing community pharmacies are considered as part of his review.
Drawing from both our own analysis and independent reports, the submission clearly shows that the sector is facing a severe funding crisis which is reducing access to care for those most in need. Without urgent stabilisation, the potential to deliver more clinical services and the value of pharmacies to local communities and the NHS will be lost.
Our submission also outlined the significant economic and social value that community pharmacies provide, the declining proportion of total NHS funding spent on the sector, and the potential for community pharmacies to do more, if the Government and NHS provide fair and sustainable funding for community pharmacies.
With strict criteria set for the format of evidence that could be submitted to the investigation, Community Pharmacy England CEO Janet Morrison also wrote to Lord Darzi to provide more information and with an offer to share further insight and analysis on the role of community pharmacy in primary care and within communities.
In the letter, Janet warns that the sector is “at breaking point” and “needs urgent attention” but believes that “with fair and sustainable funding, pharmacy can do so much more”. She goes on to recommend a series of actions to help realise pharmacy’s potential:
- Put community pharmacies at the centre of delivery of the Government’s primary care priorities;
- Invest in the long-term stability of the community pharmacy sector;
- Halt pharmacy closures; and
- Commission further services in community pharmacies.
Read our submission to the Darzi Review
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:
“We hope that the Darzi Review will foster a realistic and honest conversation about how to improve the outlook for community pharmacy. Community Pharmacy England will continue to input into the Government’s work to better understand and overcome the challenges facing the NHS; this will include feeding into the development of a 10-year plan and the upcoming Spending Review.”
