Nearly 14,000 temporary pharmacy closures, and the permanent closure of more than one pharmacy every day last year, have been revealed in a survey by Healthwatch England.

Freedom of Information requests were submitted to all 42 integrated care boards in England asking about permanent and temporary pharmacy closures, following concerns raised by the public and local Healthwatch groups. 

All 42 ICBs responded and the results have led Healthwatch England to warn that ongoing closures undermine the extended role of community pharmacies. The organisation is also calling for a review of pharmacy funding.

Staff shortages are the main cause of the closures, hitting older people and rural communities the hardest, it says, adding that “temporary pharmacy closures are adding to the deepening crisis in the sector”.

The FOI requests revealed that 436 pharmacies closed permanently in England between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. This means that, on average, more than one pharmacy closed permanently every day.

During the same period, 13,863 temporary closures were reported across 41 ICBs, resulting in 46,823 hours lost. The average closure length was 3 hours 40 minutes. Most ICBs reported staff shortages, such as problems finding a locum, as the main driver of temporary closures.

An ‘hours closed per pharmacy’ metric, created by Healthwatch England, suggests that ICBs in rural areas recorded a higher level of temporary pharmacy closures compared to ICBs in predominantly urban areas. Additionally, ICBs with a higher proportion of people over 60 years of age recorded a higher number of hours lost per pharmacy.

Regional variations

The FOI data also revealed striking variations of temporary closures and hours lost across ICBs:

• North East & North Cumbria ICB recorded the highest number of temporary closures and hours lost, with 1,438 closures and 4,054 hours lost
• South East London ICB recorded the lowest number of temporary closures (70) and North West London ICB the lowest number of hours lost (212)
• Kent & Medway ICB had the highest average closure length at 5 hours 38 minutes per pharmacy
• The ICB with the lowest average closure length was North East London at 2 hours 22 minutes per pharmacy.

Healthwatch England warns temporary closures are adding to the mounting problems in the pharmacy sector and are calling into doubt the success of the Pharmacy First programme.

Chief executive, Louise Ansari, said: “Temporary pharmacy closures present a widespread challenge in England. This is particularly acute in rural regions where people already have to travel further to visit their pharmacist and is having huge impacts on older people.

“Staff shortages, which are a key driver of permanent and temporary closures, call into doubt the potential of Pharmacy First, meaning people can’t get the advice, care and medications they need and when they need them.

“We know that people’s frustration often stems from not being informed about pharmacy closures in advance. Better signposting that pharmacies will be closed and setting out alternatives would go some way to improving patient experience.

“However, in the longer term, action must be taken to address staff shortages and unequal access. A national evaluation of pharmacy funding and the size, role-mix and distribution of the pharmacy workforce is necessary to improve planning of pharmacy services.”

Across England, there are 152 local Healthwatch services. Their statutory role includes finding out what communities want from health and social care and providing people with information and advice about local services. They are funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Reaction

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: “This Healthwatch report is yet more evidence showing just how desperate the situation for pharmacies has now become.

“Community pharmacies urgently need their core funding to be uplifted to stabilise the sector, halt the trend of pharmacy closures, and allow pharmacies to keep doing what they do best: supporting local communities and the wider NHS. Without this stabilisation we can expect the trend of pharmacy closures to continue, with a risk of the sector collapsing under the strain.”

Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “It’s clear that rising levels of closures are risking leaving some areas of the country as pharmacy deserts, with people having to travel much further to get access to vital services. Pharmacies are closing at a record rate, and millions of people are seeing the effect of that in their communities.”

• A map of pharmacy closures can be accessed here.