Pharmacies vote to cut services unless UK government takes action on crisis | NHS

Pharmacies have said they will cut a number of services within weeks, including stopping free medicine deliveries and extending opening hours, unless the government significantly increases funding for the sector to tackle the growing crisis.

A high turnout poll conducted by the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA), which represents independent community pharmacies, found that 99% of pharmacy owners said they were willing to restrict services to ensure patient safety if funding was not improved.

A total of 63.5% of members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland participated, representing 3,399 independent community pharmacies.

Industry leaders have warned that failure to increase funding for pharmacies will lead to further closures, citing a 6.7% rise in the national minimum wage and increased employer national insurance since the Budget, which has intensified the anger of pharmacy owners. NI) contribution.

Unless funding for pharmacies is expanded in the coming weeks, pharmacy owners voted:

Posting hours beyond the minimum hours required by your contract will reduce the number of pharmacies open on evenings and weekends.

Stop free home delivery of unfunded medicines.

Closing local referral services, including some local addiction support services, emergency contraception and smoking cessation support.

Refuse to cooperate with certain data requests that exceed minimum patient safety and contractual requirements.

Withdrawal of the provision of free monitoring dosage systems (medicine packs) that the NHS does not pay for to provide, in addition to being subject to disability discrimination laws.

NPA chairman Nick Kaye said he had never experienced a situation so desperate. He said: Pharmacies desperately want to support their communities with access to medicines and advice, but a decade of underfunding has led to a record number of closures, putting them in an untenable position.

Pharmacy owners' anger over the budget has grown exponentially, putting more pharmacies in crisis. Pharmacies do not want to see their services cut, but if the government does not take action to protect this important and beloved part of our health service, we have no choice but to suggest that pharmacy owners should take action following a clear vote .

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: The community pharmacy sector is $1.7 billion underfunded and the crisis is widening. This is made worse by increases in employer NI, costing members an extra 12,000 a year. As healthcare professionals, we believe that patients should not have to suffer because our members cut off valuable and essential professional services.

The association said more than 1,250 pharmacies have closed in the past 10 years, and more than 700 in the past two years alone.

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