By Neil Trainis

The deputy managing director of Phoenix UK Nigel Swift has accused the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting of being “frustratingly vague” during his recent assessment of the role of community pharmacy by failing to provide specifics on how a Labour government would support the sector.

Streeting (pictured) told the King’s Fund on Friday that the NHS was “still salvageable” but warned his party would need a decade to save it, with millions of people in England waiting for treatment as health service staff embark on strike action.

Yet it was his insistence that the current government “could do a lot more” with pharmacies, as well as his suggestion that community pharmacy has “a big role” to play, that caught the attention of sector leaders.

Community Chemists’ Association head of policy Nick Thayer said his organisation was “pleased to see the shadow health secretary recognise the enhanced role that pharmacies should play in primary care reform.” Swift, however, criticised Streeting for a lack of detail.

“Those words are welcome, but frustrating vague: what exactly does he mean? What roles and responsibilities does he envisage community pharmacy undertaking as a core part of our national primary healthcare ecosystem?” Swift said, questioning whether Streeting would invest in community pharmacy “to reverse its current worrying decline” were he to become health secretary.

“Why not be more specific and talk about community pharmacies as health hubs which prevent illness arising in the first place; provide basic condition screening and on-going monitoring; along with front-line responsibility supporting GPs with patients who require long-term medicine care management.

“That’s an exciting offer people want and would appreciate. It is, Mr Streeting, if you provide clarity, vision and long-term investment, a vote winner.”

Swift also questioned whether Streeting’s ambitions for community pharmacy extended beyond administering vaccinations.

“After all the sector briefing and lobbying, does he still not ‘get it’ that you cannot solve the wider NHS crisis without community pharmacy at the heart of the solution?” Swift said, describing the NHS as “broken.”

Streeting said the emphasis should not be on injecting more money into the NHS but on reform. Swift agreed with that up to a point, warning reform needed to be backed up by “fair and adequate funding and a long-term implementation plan.”

“Streeting himself has said consistently that throwing money at the problem is not a solution. He is correct. In England, we need to reinvent patient pathways and appropriate professional care access as we see in Scotland. That would be a bold, inspiring approach which would benefit patients, GPs and the wider NHS,” Swift said.

“Politically, I’m sure he does not want to upset GPs. However, at the next general election, as a sector, we must hold every parliamentary candidates’ feet to the fire and ensure they commit to protecting and promoting the pharmacy network or answer to the electorate who do not want to see their beloved, valued and needed local pharmacy closing.”

 Image: www.parliament.uk