As regular readers of this site will know I have been campaigning to ensure that Local Pharmacies are retained. Through these pages, through Facebook and through Twitter.
I feel that a local Pharmacy plays an important role in our community. It would be tragic if any of our Local Pharmacies were lost. I am currently involved with conversations with City Officials regarding the impact of the Government proposed loss of financial support for Pharmacy’s in the City……..more information will follow over the next week or so. I have also written to our MP Emma Reynolds, with regards to the Government threat to local funding, and I am pleased to publish Emma’s response.
Emma Reynolds MP for Wolverhampton North East.
Dear Phil –Many thanks for your email. I hope you and Mary are well. I have also had a number of emails from constituents about this matter. Like you I strongly support local pharmacies. I have recently written to David Mowat, the new minister responsible for pharmacies at the Department of Health, to urge him to drop the proposed £170 million cut. So far all the government has committed to do is to pause the planned cuts while it negotiates again with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), the body which represents all community pharmacies providing services in England.
However, I remain concerned that the previous proposals for reduced funding will still go ahead.
The PSNC has said the impact of a £170 million cut in funding will almost inevitably force pharmacies to reduce staffing levels and direct more people to GPs or urgent care resulting in a false economy. Instead of such short-sighted cuts which risks increasing costs to the NHS, I believe we need sensible planning and investment across primary care. This would mean that the pharmacy sector can continue to play its important role in our communities and ensure that patients get the most out of both the NHS and pharmacies.
Earlier in the year, I did raise this issue with Health Select Committee to see if we could put something in a report we were doing on primary care. Unfortunately because we hadn’t heard or received any evidence, we couldn’t include a reference to it.”
So we need public opinion with regards to this, I know many of you have already signed the Pharmacy Petitions – Well done for that!
