Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

New pharmacy minister Neil O’Brien is warned he'll find the sector 'more fragile than ever'

Pharmacy bodies have welcomed the new minister in charge of the profession amid warnings that he will find the sector in a state that is "more fragile that ever" due to "untenable funding and workforce pressures".

Neil O’Brien was re-appointed as parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on October 25 and was later assigned the pharmacy brief.


The Conservative MP for Harborough -- who will have a wide-ranging portfolio of responsibilities, including primary care and pharmacy -- has taken over the position from Will Quince MP, who had a brief stint as pharmacy minister but remains at the department on a different role.

O’Brien was was handed a junior minister's job at DHSC on 7 September 2022 in the government led by Liz Truss but fellow Conservative Quince was assigned primary care duties including pharmacy.

Welcoming him to his new role, The Company Chemists' Association said that the minister would find that the community pharmacy sector was "more fragile than ever" with untenable pressures over funding and workforce.

The CCA CEO Malcolm Harrison said: "The government must recognize that a real-terms cut in funding across the last eight years is leading to an increasing rate of permanent pharmacy closures. Our own research finds that 41 per cent of permanent closures since 2015 have occurred in the 20 per cent most deprived areas of England.

"The NHS must endeavor to put patients back in control. As such, a holistic review of primary care is urgently needed. This will ensure that resources are directed to where they deliver the most benefit to patients. Such a review must be underpinned by a fully funded and integrated workforce plan, as recommended by the Health and Social Care Committee”.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said: “We welcome the appointment of Neil O’Brien MP and hope for a more stable and sustained period in administration. We are ready and willing to support minister O’Brien at a challenging and pivotal time for the NHS and community pharmacy.”

Chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, Janet Morrison, said: "We look forward to meeting with him at the earliest opportunity to continue our vital discussions on the very serious challenges facing the sector. We will also want to explore further the very valuable wider role that community pharmacy could play within primary care, with the right funding settlement and support.’’

Who is Neil O’Brien?

Mr O’Brien has been the Conservative MP for the West Midlands constituency since 2017 and was previously a special advisor to chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne from 2012 to 2016, and Theresa May during her tenure as prime minister.

He grew up in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where he was educated at All Saints High School and Greenhead College, before taking a first in philosophy, politics and economics at Christ Church, Oxford.

Prior to entering politics, Mr O'Brien conducted outreach work with homeless people and was a chair of school governors. He co-founded the think tank Onward.

Mr O'Brien lives in his Harborough constituency, and is married with two children.

According to government announcement, Mr O’Brien will have the following responsibilities as parliamentary under secretary of state at DHSC:

  • Primary Care:

    general practice

    pharmacy

    ophthalmology

    primary care backlogs

    primary care workforce

    50 million GP appointments

    dentistry

    prescription charges

    Blood, transplant and organs

  • UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA):

    COVID-19 – COVID-19 status certification, variant tracing, shielding

    environmental health (air quality, chemicals, radiation)

    health security at the border

    infectious diseases (including monkeypox)

    seasonal flu

  • Vaccines:

    COVID-19 vaccine deployment and uptake

    routine immunisations and vaccinations

  • Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID):

    tobacco

    obesity

    alcohol, drugs and addiction

    NHS Health Checks

    children’s health, Start for Life

    sexual health

    long COVID

    antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and global health security

    emergency preparedness including Ukraine

  • Sponsorship of:

    NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)

    UKHSA

    Food Standards Agency (FSA)

More For You

GPhC should consider reduced fees for pharmacists non-practising practising, says RPS

RPS responds to GPhC consultation on draft changes to fees

gettyimages

RPS urges GPhC to reduce registration fees for non-practising pharmacists

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to reduce annual registration fees for non-practising pharmacists — such as those on parental leave or with a long-term illness — in response to the regulator’s consultation on proposed changes to fees.

The GPhC is proposing a 6% increase in annual registration fees from September 2025 to cover the rising operational costs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Kaye
Nick Kaye appointed as NPA's new chair
Nick Kaye appointed as NPA's new chair

Breaking news: NPA members advised against collective action

With the government’s recent announcement of increased funding to the sector signalling a ‘clear step forward’, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has today announced that it will not be recommending collective action to its members.

Last month, the department of health announced the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) with an increase in funding for 2024/25 of £106m to £2.7 billion and simultaneously a further increase to £3.1 billion for 25/26.

Keep ReadingShow less
Slamannan Village Pharmacy sold after 31 years

Slamannan Village Pharmacy

Slamannan Village Pharmacy sold after 31 years

A pharmacy in a small village in Scotland that has served its community for 31 years, has been bought by a group that operates 43 pharmacies across Scotland.

Slamannan Village Pharmacy is heavily relied on by locals sourcing their prescriptions from the village’s sole GP surgery.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kinnock highlights employers’ role in making community pharmacy jobs attractive

The new funding uplift our commitment to rebuilding the sector: Kinnock

Kinnock: ‘Employers have a key role in making community pharmacy jobs attractive’

Health minister Stephen Kinnock has emphasised that employers have a crucial role to play in retaining staff and making careers in community pharmacy more attractive.

His comments came in response to a written question from Victoria Collins MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for science and technology, who asked what steps the Department of Health and Social Care is taking to address staff shortages and prevent the closure of local pharmacies.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Pope Francis

Pope Francis at the Vatican on December 4, 2024.

Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj offers condolences to Catholic community following Pope Francis' passing

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader and president of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), has expressed heartfelt condolences to the Catholic community worldwide following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday.

In a formal letter addressed to the members of the Roman Catholic Church, Mahant Swami Maharaj conveyed the deep sorrow of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu fellowship, acknowledging the Pope's passing as “a profound loss to the Catholic community and Christians around the world.”

Keep ReadingShow less