Minister declares herself a “big fan” of pharmacy at CPE conference event

The Public Health and Patient Safety Minister, Dame Diana Johnson DBE, has praised pharmacy’s “amazing work” and described herself as a “big fan” of the sector during a Community Pharmacy England-sponsored fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

The event, organised in partnership with the think tank Re:State, explored how Labour’s vision for a more community-centric healthcare system can be delivered in practice. Minister Johnson was joined on the panel by Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England; Paul Farmer, Chair of Richmond Group of Charities and Chief Executive of Age UK; and Josh Fenton-Glynn MP, who sits on the Health and Social Care Committee.

Janet Morrison emphasised community pharmacy’s immense value to patients and communities, describing it as “the definition of accessible, equitable healthcare”. In addition to pharmacies’ vital role in medicine supply, recent investment in a growing number of clinical services is delivering real impact, relieving pressure on other frontline services and generating strong public confidence in the sector.

Janet argued that neighbourhood health should build on existing assets and patient pathways and community pharmacies’ relationships with patients, and that this would need the right incentives and investment in innovation and infrastructure.

Josh Fenton-Glynn supported this point, warning that previous attempts to shift care from hospitals into communities had not been matched by funding. He also said the pandemic showed that bureaucracy could be reduced and services such as COVID-19 vaccination delivered directly to people.

Minister Johnson indicated her strong support for pharmacy. She welcomed the 2026/27 CPCF settlement agreed under her predecessor – particularly the rollout of pharmacist independent prescribing – and called for a proper discussion about reform.

The Minister called for greater flexibility to design services around the needs of individual communities, rather than relying solely on a national model. She said that she would work with the Health Secretary to ensure community pharmacy plays a key role in delivering the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan and neighbourhood health initiatives.

One of the next steps in implementing the Plan is identifying examples of exceptional practice that could be scaled more widely. Labour MPs are also now emphasising the role of social care within the wider health system, linked to the Prime Minister’s plans for a taxpayer-funded National Care Service in England. And Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper has set out her personal ambitions to improve maternity and early years care.

Meanwhile, Community Pharmacy England’s panel event reinforced both the opportunities for the sector and the conditions needed to deliver them: sustainable investment, appropriate incentives, better infrastructure and greater flexibility to shape services around local needs.

Wider Labour Party Conference Engagement

Throughout the conference, representatives from Community Pharmacy England have been engaging in constructive discussions about pharmacy with MPs and policymakers, as well as with representatives from health charities, patient groups, think tanks and other stakeholders. This influencing work is critical as we build relationships with new Ministers. We have been raising both the enormous potential of community pharmacy and the funding and other barriers to achieving that.

Alongside the panel event with Minister Johnson, we hosted an informal evening networking reception with health charities, patient groups, and other primary care professions. Attendees included Diabetes UK, the Epilepsy Society, the Stroke Association, the Royal Society of Public Health and the Patients Association. The team also attended fringe events and spoke directly with politicians including Cabinet Members.

We will continue making the case for the sector with policy influencers from across the political spectrum, including at a further event due to be held at the Conservative Party Conference. Follow conference season updates on our social media channels (particularly LinkedIn and X), newsletter and website.

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

“It has been hugely valuable to engage with Ministers, MPs, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the health and care sector over the past few days and to be part of wider health policy debate.

“One year on from the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan, this has been an important opportunity to show how community pharmacies can help address some of the Government’s key healthcare priorities such as improving access, addressing health inequalities and delivering more care in the community.

“We have had plenty of valuable discussions on these issues and look forward to continuing these conversations with Ministers, policymakers and stakeholders beyond the conference. Our focus remains on securing the support needed to unlock the full potential of community pharmacy for patients and local communities.”