Key Summary
- Sadik Al-Hassan elected chair of the APPG on Pharmacy, succeeding Steve Race
- The group focuses on medicine shortages and patient care issues
- Al-Hassan has challenged Jhoots Pharmacies over patient and staff concerns
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy has elected Sadik Al-Hassan, a community pharmacist as well as Labour MP for North Somerset, as their new chairperson.
The APPG on Pharmacy promotes cross-party dialogue on key pharmacy challenges, hosting public meetings and inquiries on pressing issues.
This year, they have raised issues related to medicine shortage, and a rise in threats to patient care.
From medicine shortages and underpayment of staffs to forcing patients travel long distances to get medical help, they are at the verge of losing their NHS prescription priviliges due to their unprofessional actions.
Al-Hassan has played a pivotal role in calling out these unacceptable practices to NHS England.
The Labour MP had recently raised the issues plaguing the Jhoots Pharmacies, which is causing inconvenience to patients and affecting the careers and livelihood of pharmacists employed at the pharmacy chain.
He had used his social media account to highlight the problems in the wake of the closure of Jhoots outlets.
Al-Hassan will take over from the current incumbent Steve Race, a Labour MP for Exeter.
Race relinquished the post following his appointment as a parliamentary private secretary to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in September.
Lord Scriven, Joe Robertson and Lee Dillon have been elected to serve APPG as vice-chairs.
