Tue, 18 Mar 2025

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 Pharmacies prepare to cut opening hours in funding protest

Pharmacies are being advised to "work to rule" unless a funding agreement can be reached with government.

* Around 6,000 community pharmacies in England may start working to rule from next week unless a new NHS contract agreement is reached with the government.
* Pharmacies are seeking confirmation of increased funding for this and next financial year but have yet to receive any confirmation.
* Possible actions include reducing opening hours and cutting services such as delivering medicines to homes.
* The government claims that this will cause "unnecessary disruption" for patients, while a settlement is already being worked on.
* Pharmacies' NHS contracts account for approximately 90% of their revenue, with additional pressures from National Insurance, the National Living Wage, and business rates increases from April.
* Over the past decade, 30 pharmacies have closed in England this year alone, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).
* A ballot by pharmacy owners found that around 3,000 voted in favour of taking action, including cutting opening hours or stopping non-contract services such as stop smoking and addiction support.
* Nick Kaye, NPA chair, states that pharmacies have "little choice" but to take action due to the lack of agreement on their contract and the uncertainty it brings.
* The Department of Health and Social Care claims that negotiations over a new NHS contract are progressing, with pharmacies playing a vital role in the community-focused NHS.
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