Liberal Democrats explore community pharmacy’s role in care closer to home

How can we build a health and care system that delivers accessible, equitable care closer to home, and what role can community pharmacy play?

Community Pharmacy England brought this conversation to the Liberal Democrat Party Conference, hosting a roundtable in partnership with the think tank Re:State.

This was part of our series of 2026 political party conference events at which we are making the case for community pharmacy in terms of both the value it delivers, and the investment it needs.

The event, ‘Community centric: accessible, equitable healthcare closer to home’, brought together politicians, health policy experts and patient representatives to consider what a genuinely community-centric NHS could look like, and the role pharmacy can play in making this a reality if it has the right investment and support.

The discussion was attended by Liberal Democrats primary care spokesperson Helen Maguire MP and attendees heard about the party’s vision for a health and care system that puts communities at its centre. Community pharmacy has a crucial role to play in any shift towards community-based, preventative care and, earlier in the day, Liberal Democrat members supported A Liberal Vision for Primary Healthcare which specifically references a desire to “Supercharge Pharmacy First”.

The roundtable explored a range of perspectives on what neighbourhood health means in practice and how community pharmacy can and must be at the heart of it. Attendees talked about the positive pharmacy services they have witnessed and how to overcome the structural challenges facing the health and care system, including through greater collaboration, innovation and a stronger role for community-based services.

We highlighted both the contribution pharmacies are already making and the need for community pharmacies to have the funding and support required to fulfil their full potential.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:

“We attended the Liberal Democrat Conference to speak with MPs about the vital role community pharmacy plays as an accessible front door to the NHS for local communities. Highlighting the benefits that pharmacies already provide, we described their potential to meet more patients’ needs in the future.

But we also discussed the pressures facing community pharmacy and what will be needed to realise the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Plan. Those ambitions are significant, but important questions remain about the funding and infrastructure required.”

Continuing our conference engagement

We will continue making the case for community pharmacy with policy influencers from across the political spectrum, with further events due to be held at other political party conferences this autumn.

Look out for further updates on our social media channels (particularly LinkedIn and X), newsletter and website.