NORTHERN IRELAND health minister Mike Nesbitt has announced £4 million for community pharmacy to provide support towards the recent increases in National Insurance.
The minister pointed out that an increase in National Insurance contributions for employers has added in the region of £140m to the health department’s financial pressures this year.
That total includes some £100m in relation to directly employed staff in Trusts and other statutory organisations in the Health and Social Care system.
Nesbitt has also agreed that funding be made available to help support non-statutory providers of health and social care in meeting their additional National Insurance bills.
This package involves a projected £40m and includes social care providers and hospices as well as family health service providers (GPs, dentists, community pharmacies and opticians).
£3.5m has been earmarked for GPs for National Insurance and detailed in the 2025/26 GP contract discussions. However, the BMA has asked its GP members to reject the GP contract on offer.
Of the other family health service providers, £4m has been earmarked for community pharmacies, £2.5m for General Dental Services and £1m for General Ophthalmic Services.
The minister assured that his three-year plan for health and social care includes stabilisation of services amid the current severe financial pressures.
"Providing assistance with rising National Insurance bills very much fits in with the stabilisation objective," he said.
He claimed the ministry has decided to "take a financial hit rather than leave health care providers to deal with the UK Government’s hike in National Insurance contributions by themselves."
Welcoming the ministry's announcement, Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) chief executive Gerard Greene said, "Further stabilising investment is needed for Community Pharmacy so that the sector can continue to work with the Department of Health to maximise the impact of community based pharmacy services which treat and care for people close to home, take pressure off GPs and hospitals."
CPNI had earlier warned that they will face a £12.4m increase in costs due to National Insurance and minimum wage increases from April 1.
The hike threatens the long-term sustainability of essential community healthcare services, adding a cost burden to an already beleaguered network of community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.
The industry body says the increased operational costs will impact on service provision and patient accessibility.
They pointed out that since 2023, 17 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland have downed shutters amid an ongoing funding shortfall.
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Atul Patel
Pritee Panchmatia
