Pharmacies were 'heroes of the pandemic' says NPA as Covid hearings resume

“Pharmacies deserve huge recognition for their phenomenal work during the Covid-19 pandemic”

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has hailed pharmacies as “heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic,” as it prepared to make its opening statement at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 3, which begins public hearings this week.

The NPA's legal team will deliver a statement to the inquiry team at the start of 10 weeks of formal sessions, focusing on the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems in the UK.

Paul Rees, Chief Executive of the NPA, emphasised the critical role pharmacies played during the crisis.

He said: “Pharmacies up and down the land were heroes of the pandemic and deserve huge recognition for their phenomenal work staying open when so much of the health system was forced to close and then delivering life-saving vaccinations to millions of people.

“Pharmacies – as they always have - stepped up in the country’s hour of need, despite crippling underfunding and neglect over more than a decade that continues to this day.

“We are taking part in the Covid inquiry to tell that story of dedication, sacrifice and service, and to remind policymakers today that they need to nurture and respect the pharmacy network so it is there and ready should any future health emergency hit our shores.”

The NPA has been designated as a core participant in Modules 3 (impact on healthcare systems) and 4 (vaccines and therapeutics) of the Inquiry proceedings.

It previously presented preliminary evidence during the Module 3 hearing on April 10, 2024, underscoring the challenges community pharmacies faced in responding to the pandemic due to long-term underinvestment.

Deirdre Domingo, the NPA's legal representative told the Inquiry: “Community pharmacy entered the pandemic facing financial and workforce crises, due to long term underinvestment in the network.

“These issues presented significant challenges for community pharmacy in responding to the pandemic and increased the difficulties in providing services to patients and maintaining staffing levels.

“Even though the pandemic clearly showed that pharmacies are an essential part of health and social care, real-term funding cuts have continued, and the independent community pharmacy sector finds itself in a worse situation than at the outset of the pandemic with pharmacies closing at the rate of approximately eight per week.”

During the Module 4 preliminary hearing on May 22, the NPA highlighted that community pharmacies should have been involved earlier in planning the COVID vaccination programme.

Lawyer Brian Stanton, speaking on behalf of the NPA, told the Inquiry: “Community pharmacy was initially given a gap in service role, which failed to fully utilize their experience, expertise and resource.”

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, which began on June 28, 2022, is examining the nation's response to and impact of the pandemic to learn lessons for the future.

The investigations are divided into various modules, with the first report published on July 18, 2024.

Baroness Heather Hallett, Chair of the Inquiry, outlined 10 recommendations in the Module 1 report and urged the UK government, as well as the governments of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, to implement them promptly.

Key recommendations include radically simplifying civil emergency preparedness and resilience systems, holding a UK-wide pandemic response exercise every three years, and establishing a single, independent statutory body responsible for system-wide preparedness and response.