Healthcare entrepreneur Baba Akomolafe has said that the government's proposal to increase business rates, combined with other punitive policies, risks accelerating the closure of Community Pharmacies.
In the November Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves scaled back business rate discounts that have been in force since the pandemic from 75 percent to 40 percent - and announced that there would be no discount from April.
In a LinkedIn post, the Christchurch Health Centre director stated, "Community Pharmacies now deliver far more than medicines supply.
"We provide essential clinical services that reduce pressure on GPs, A&E departments, and hospital admissions, supporting patients earlier and closer to home."
This expanded role requires investment, not punitive measures, he stated.
Pharmacies need to renovate the premises, innovate their practice, and upskill staff to meet growing demand.
Yet while pubs, GP practices, and NHS dentists receive business rate relief, Community Pharmacies do not, he stated.
Community pharmacies should be recognised and supported as equal partners within the NHS.
He observed that while the government may be facing difficult financial choices, the closure of Community Pharmacies will undermine the NHS’s stated ambition to shift care from hospitals to the community, and from treatment to prevention.
Earlier, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) had written to chancellor Reeves urging her to drop the move to increase the business rates.
The pharmacy sector also has to battle with an increase in employers' national insurance and the hike in minimum wage.
It also remains heavily underfunded with an estimated funding gap of £2.6 billion.
