GPs taking industrial action

Pharmacy press

A survey has suggested that nearly half of England’s GP surgeries are taking industrial action, and we were asked about the impact of this on community pharmacies so far.

Our Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, Alastair Buxton, said:

“Whilst it is still early days for this GP action, we remain concerned about the potential impact on pharmacy owners and their teams. If patients can’t access their GP practice many will turn to their local pharmacies, but any unplanned surge in people seeking their help will exacerbate a sector that is already working at full capacity.

A significant concern is that even more patients will be informally signposted to pharmacies rather than being electronically referred to the Pharmacy First service, transferring workload to community pharmacies which will be unfunded by the NHS. We have already shared our concerns with NHS England  and GPC England and will monitor the effects of the GP action on pharmacies, including through our Committee Opinion Poll.”

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