Pharmacies at the heart of Labour’s healthcare reform – Stephen Kinnock

The government is looking to address the financial strain faced by pharmacies as “a matter of urgency”

Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock highlighted the role of community pharmacies in the Labour government’s proposed healthcare reform during his speech at the 24th annual Pharmacy Business Awards on Wednesday.

He outlined the government’s vision for three strategic shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Emphasising the crucial role that community pharmacies will play in achieving these changes, he said: “Pharmacies are based in, and recruit from, and are part of their communities, and we have to put you right at the heart of those three shifts if we are to deliver the change that our country so desperately needs.”

Kinnock also acknowledged the contribution of pharmacies in safeguarding the nation's health.

He stated: “I've already heard, just in the short time that I've been in government since 4 July, of many examples of just how much patients and communities rely on your services and the lengths to which you go to deliver care.”

For far too long, governments have failed to recognise the essential role that you play in safeguarding the nation's health, particularly in areas of deprivation.

But this government recognises that pharmacies can and should play an even greater part in providing health care on the high street.”

Kinnock also recognised the untapped potential within the pharmacy sector that can contribute to economic growth.

“Your profession has a pivotal role to play in getting our economy back on its feet and fit for the future, whether that be by identifying those with risk factors for disease, such as high blood pressure, or by ensuring that people can access and use their medicines to best possible effect,” he said.

He stressed the need to unlock the “huge untapped potential” within the sector, adding that empowering pharmacy professionals to fully utilise their skills and knowledge would ease pressure on local healthcare systems.

Kinnock praised the success of the Pharmacy First service, which allows pharmacies to manage and treat seven common conditions, citing real-life examples of its impact.

He shared the story of a mother who took her child to a pharmacy, where it was quickly identified that the child had impetigo and treated on-site, helping the family avoid further complications and time off work.

“It's examples such as this and many others that I'm sure you all know of, which is why, we supported Pharmacy First when we were in opposition, and why we are committed to building on the programme,” Kinnock said.

He also announced plans to introduce an independent prescribing service that will integrate prescribing into community pharmacy practice.

He said that NHS England is currently working closely with all Integrated Care Boards on pilots to test how prescribing can work in community pharmacies.

Furthermore, Kinnock highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening IT infrastructure for community pharmacies, including read and write access to patient records—something the sector has campaigned for over many years.

Kinnock noted that improved referral IT infrastructure will help remove some of the friction points in the NHS, making it easier to refer patients to the right place closer to home.

“This is another great example of the strategic shift from analogue to digital and the crucial role you played in that shift,” he said.

Pharmacy Business Awards in one frame

Sector’s financial challenges   

Addressing concerns over funding, Kinnock acknowledged the financial strain faced by the pharmacy sector, with over 600 closures in the past year.

“I have heard from Community Pharmacy England about the increasing difficulty the sector faces in raising finances for their businesses and the lengths the contractors have felt forced to go to keep their businesses open to continue to serve the patients who rely on them,” he stated, adding that they are looking at this as “a matter of urgency.”

He noted that NHS England has commissioned an economic analysis of the cost of providing pharmaceutical services. “This work is happening right now with the pharmacies, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes so that the findings can inform every spending decision we make,” he said.

Kinnock is looking forward to working with pharmacy stakeholders to develop sustainable funding solutions and seize new opportunities for the sector.

A call for collaboration  

Kinnock stressed the importance of collaboration between the government and pharmacy professionals in achieving the healthcare mission.

“Our mission as a government is to get our health and care system back on its feet and fit for the future. But this is a national mission that can only be achieved in partnership with you, with every person in this room.

“I look forward to hearing from and working with pharmacists from across the country as we progress our plans to embrace the skills, knowledge, and expertise of your dynamic and forward-thinking profession,” he said.

Kinnock concluded his speech by pledging that he will do all he can to empower community pharmacies to continue to expand their “fantastic work.”

With around 650 distinguished members of the pharmacy sector in attendance, the Pharmacy Business Awards 2024 celebrated excellence and innovation in community pharmacy.