Health Secretary Victoria Atkins visits CliniChem pharmacy in Central London

The visit coincided with an announcement on expanding pharmacy services in England

Victoria Atkins MP, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, visited NPA board member Sukhi Basra (L) at CliniChem pharmacy in Central London on Thursday (16 November).

Basra was accompanied by NPA Chief Executive Mark Lyonette.

This was among Atkins' first appointments following her recent promotion in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Atkins met with staff and patients to explore clinical services and discuss the evolving role of the community pharmacy sector.

"Welcoming politicians and officials to my pharmacy is always a pleasure," Basra said.

Basra highlighted the opportunity to brief the Health Secretary on the latest developments, including Pharmacy First.

"I take pride in our work for the local community, and it allows me to highlight the fantastic efforts of pharmacy teams nationwide," she added.

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary's visit coincided with an announcement on the expansion of pharmacy services in England, including the common conditions service and the NHS contraception service.

Lyonette said, "Through Sukhi's firsthand account, the Secretary of State gained insight into the challenges of serving on the pharmacy frontline.”

Earlier this year, NPA members hosted Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Shadow Pharmacy Minister Preet Kaur Gill.