Pharmacy Pressures: Please contact your MP

PSNC has today published some new resources to help community pharmacy contractors and LPCs to engage with their local MPs about the immense pressures that pharmacies are facing.

PSNC is deeply aware of the funding crisis affecting the sector and is working hard to increase the pressure on Government to act now with an urgent funding uplift. This has included upping investment in influencing activities and working closely with LPCs to take united action.

PSNC’s Four Point Plan to safeguard the future of community pharmacy launched last month, setting out how pharmacy could be the solution to a number of problems if, and only if, it is properly funded, resourced and supported.

As pressures continue to mount, further briefings now focus solely on the urgent need to resolve the funding squeeze in order to protect existing pharmacy services.

To support this campaigning work, we are now also urging contractors to contact their local MP to outline the severity of the funding pressures and the impact it will have on patients if it continues. Contractors should ask MPs to take up the cause with Ministers.

To help with this we have launched a range of resources as outlined below, with more to follow shortly. They cover how you can contact your MP, some key messages to consider, and how to organise a pharmacy visit for your MP.

Janet Morrison, PSNC Chief Executive, said:

“I can see how difficult things are for pharmacy owners and for their staff and how frustrating it is to have been put in this situation by deliberate Government and NHS decisions to squeeze the sector dry. It is unacceptable for these pressures to continue – what’s not good for pharmacies, is not good for patients or the wider NHS. The Government needs to hear this message loudly and clearly – if the squeeze continues the consequences will be dire. We are telling them this at a national level, but the more MPs who now also hear this message from their constituents, the better.”

Zoe Long, PSNC Director of Communications and Public Affairs said:

“Whilst we and the LPCs are working hard to brief MPs from across the political spectrum on the current pharmacy pressures and risks to patients, these messages land all the more strongly if they are amplified with real-life stories, data and experiences from contractors. We have seen in the past that personal contact from constituents can help to encourage very strong advocacy from MPs, and that is what these resources are designed to help with.”

Resources

We will continue to add to these in the coming weeks and everything will be compiled on our website here.

Four Point Plan
PSNC’s four point action plan to ensure that the best use is being made of the community pharmacy sector, and that pharmacies have a sustainable future. 

PSNC Briefing: Community Pharmacy Patient Services Under Critical Pressure
A briefing for MPs that outlines the current situation for community pharmacies, describes the potential risks to patients, and details the sector’s asks to ease the critical pressures. Whilst primarily aimed at MPs, it could also be used to help explain the current situation to other stakeholders. 

Pharmacy First briefing
This briefing pitching the potential value of a fully-funded ‘Pharmacy First’ service may be useful when talking with your local MPs, alongside the briefing about critical pressures. 

MP letter writing guidance
Sending a personal letter to an MP can be much more powerful than using a template. This guidance provides advice and a format to follow to assist with the letter-writing process.

MP visit guidance
This briefing provides guidance to help LPCs and contractors organise successful visits to community pharmacies for local MPs, including updated messaging.  

Stakeholder map
A map detailing the key contacts that PSNC and the LPCs are reaching out to. This may be of interest to contractors, but please note that we are encouraging contractors to write to all MPs now.   

Social media infographics
These images are designed to be shared on social media if you are contacting your MP via that route.  

Please contact commsteam@cpe.org.uk for any further help and support.