General election debate highlights concerns over community pharmacy closures

Community pharmacy viability and healthcare access take center stage as leaders and stakeholders convene in a pivotal Eastern Eye election debate addressing pressing issues in the Asian community

In a significant event organised by Eastern Eye (EE), a sister publication of Pharmacy Business, political leaders gathered on July 1st to address pressing issues affecting the Asian community

The EE election debate aimed to amplify their political voice and encourage participation in the political process.

The debate, moderated by Barnie Choudhury, Editor of Eastern Eye, saw prominent figures including Andrew Boff AM of the Conservative Party, Anneliese Dodds represented Labour as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, and Lord Richard Newby from the Liberal Democrats engaged in a robust discussion.

They fielded questions on various issues affecting the UK, including economic and social inequality, immigration, health inequalities, and funding cuts to community pharmacies.

Amid an audience that included stakeholders from the pharmacy sector, a notable query focused on each party's stance on the role of community pharmacies and their commitment to funding these vital services.

Anneliese Dodds assured community pharmacists at the EE Election Debate that they will have an important part to play in the health service under a future Labour government.

The National Pharmacy Association(NPA) has warned the number of pharmacies closing in England is “skyrocketing” after its analysis of NHS data revealed the community pharmacy network is being hit hard by poor funding and rising costs.

“It's extremely concerning,” said Dodds. “I've met with some of the local pharmacies in my area, and I'm continuously hearing the same thing, they stand ready and they serve local communities already.

“They were absolutely critical during the Covid period. I agree with giving them additional functions, making sure that then supports the financial model of community pharmacy in particular is going to be really critical.”

Asked if Wes Streeting, shadow secretary of state for health and social care, will meet community pharmacists should Labour win this week, Dodds said:

“I obviously can't compel my colleagues to do exactly what I want, however, my understanding is that he has had quite a lot of discussions with community pharmacists already, because he is very concerned about this high rate of closure in some areas.

“You're ending up with a kind of pharmacy deserts in different communities. It's often the communities that have the highest need for a pharmacy that are suffering from this.

“I'm sure he would want to meet with community pharmacists, and I'll certainly pass on that idea about a summit (with community pharmacists)."

Richard Newby advocated for revising pharmacy tariffs to improve their financial viability and expand their role in healthcare delivery:

"The tariff that you've received has been frozen for a very long time, which is clearly unacceptable. We need to be more positive about the role that community pharmacies can play."

Andrew Boff reaffirmed the Conservative Party's commitment to supporting community pharmacies and their vital role in healthcare provision:

"There's no commitment in the Labour manifesto to invest in pharmacies. We have our plan, and I just hope that if Wes Streeting is Secretary of State for Health, he doesn't have to go too far to talk about the importance of pharmacies."

The debate also addressed the issue of apprenticeships within the pharmacy sector, with Dodds highlighting Labour's plans to optimise apprenticeship funding:

"We really want to build on that [innovation in apprenticeships] to make sure that apprenticeship funding is working for businesses up and down the country."

The event not only provided a platform for crucial dialogue on healthcare and community engagement but also highlighted the growing influence of the Asian community in shaping political discourse.