Councillor Phil Bateman said today I have received this email. I have supported the request, plus I have a resolution going to the next City Council meeting. But the Government are rushing their plan through Parliament. If you feel like I do and want to save Community Pharmacies….Please read on and act
without delay!
Dear Councillor – The Department of Health has now announced its cuts to community pharmacy, and they are as damaging as it was suspected; only 1 in 10 pharmacies are to be protected from the cuts, and the poorest communities are likely to be the ones who suffer the most from these damaging plans. The DH impact assessment is flawed; they simply do not know how many pharmacies may have to close.
These cuts will limit pharmacies’ ability to play a key part in providing local healthcare, from treating common ailments through to healthy living support programmes tailored to the communities they serve. Community pharmacies are a local lifeline in the NHS – yet the DoH has made it clear that they do not see this value, and in your constituency several may yet have to close as a result of these cuts.
This will increase pressure on already-overburdened NHS services locally – and with GP surgeries, doctors and nurses and A&E departments all overstretched. The Department of Health plans to start making these cuts from December 1st – right in the middle of winter when resources in the NHS are already stretched.
This Wednesday, the 2nd of November, there will be a vote in Parliament over these damaging plans.
Please write to your MP ,I know I have – asking her to support the vote to stop the plans.
We’ve created an easy to use website with suggested email copy (which you can customise): http://lobby.supportyourlocalpharmacy.org
Share this email with friends, family and colleagues and ask that they do the same.
I hope we can count on your support. Thank you,
Ian Strachan Chair, National Pharmacy Association
