Health Secretary pledges to take ‘enormous’ pharmacy pressures into account

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP appeared before the Health and Social Care Select Committee in Parliament yesterday (December 18th) to answer questions related to his brief.  

In response to questions – including from All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy Member Gregory Stafford MP – the Secretary of State said he wanted to: “reassure pharmacies across the country that we are taking into account the enormous pressure they are under when thinking about [funding] allocations”. 

Mr Streeting set out some of his ambitions for community pharmacy – including expanding Pharmacy First and building on independent prescribing – but said his number one focus is to “stabilise the [community pharmacy] system” before they can play “a bigger role…as part of the shift from hospital to community”.  

The Secretary of State also confirmed that CPCF negotiations will commence early in the New Year. This had already been announced by Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock during a Westminster Hall debate earlier in the week, in which the Minister also thanked the community pharmacy sector for the amazing work they have been doing.  

The Secretary of State said he was working through with the Minister the package that will be needed to “initially stabilise the system and create a more stable foundation from which to build a better future for pharmacy”.  

He said: “Now that we have got the budget set we will be consulting with Community Pharmacy England shortly in the New Year and I do want to reassure pharmacists across the country that we are taking into account the enormous pressures they are under when thinking about allocations so that we can stabilise the system and create the foundations from which to recover.” 

Joe Robertson MP focused his questioning to the Secretary of State on the impact that increases in employer NI contributions will have on NHS providers. He quoted Community Pharmacy England analysis showing that the proposed rise will cost community pharmacies £50m per year.  

In his response the Health Secretary said he is taking into account the “wide range of pressure” that exist in health and social care when setting out the funding allocations for the year ahead. 

Commenting on this, Janet Morrison, Community Pharmacy England Chief Executive, said:  

“Community pharmacy owners are in an absolutely desperate financial position and need urgent answers on funding. I wrote to Ministers earlier this month to reiterate the very perilous position that the sector is in, and to warn of the serious consequences should the current chronic underfunding of the sector continue. Government and the NHS can be in no doubt as to how much – both for community pharmacies, and their patients – is at stake.  

“It has been encouraging this week to hear the Secretary of State recognising the immense pressures that the sector is under, and also Ministers noting the enormous amount of work that is going on in community pharmacies to support patients and communities. MPs from across the political spectrum have also been calling for the support and investment that pharmacies need.  

“Community Pharmacy England is ready to commence CPCF negotiations and we look forward to hearing from Government on this in the New Year.”