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NPA: Labour’s pledge to follow up on HSCC’s pharmacy recommendations lack urgency
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The National Pharmacy Association’s director of corporate affairs Gareth Jones has cautiously welcomed Labour’s pledge to follow up on the recommendations of the health and social care committee on the future of pharmacy by insisting its promises of support for the sector lack “a sense of urgency.”
Last month, the health minister Stephen Kinnock told the Committee the government would look at the issues raised by its inquiry into pharmacy across community, hospital and primary care.
A report published by the Committee in May 2024 concluded community pharmacy was struggling with inadequate funding, workforce pressures and medicines shortages.
Kinnock said although the Committee’s report was produced for the previous Conservative government, “pharmacy is a key priority” for Labour and insisted he has “been keen to cast fresh eyes on the issues.”
“Unfortunately, we inherited a system that has been neglected for too long and for pharmacists to deliver for patients at a local level remains very difficult,” he said. “I am committed to working with the sector to achieve what we all want – a service fit for the future.”
Kinnock said Labour’s 10-year plan to reform the NHS, due to be published in the spring, will “inform future funding and contractual arrangements” for community pharmacy.
He also insisted the government “is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.”
He said Labour wanted to build on Pharmacy First as it tries to move care from hospitals into the community and place a greater emphasis on prevention.
Jones said Kinnock’s comments were “encouraging” but insisted “what’s lacking is a sense of urgency, especially in terms of fixing our broken contract and properly funding pharmacies’ vital work.”
“The starting point needs to be fair funding now and into the longer term, as well as bold thinking about the place of community pharmacy in our healthcare system,” Jones said.
“We urge ministers to end the crippling underfunding of our sector and unleash our potential to transform the way people can stay healthy and access local treatment and advice.”
RPS: Stephen Kinnock’s words must be backed by action
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s director for England and Wales Elen Jones said Kinnock’s words “must now be backed by action” through Labour’s 10-year plan and NHS workforce plan which is expected to be published in the summer.
She also reminded Kinnock the RPS has “long called for pharmacists to be able to make appropriate substitutions to help manage medicines shortages.”
In a letter to Kinnock yesterday, the Committee’s chair Layla Moran challenged him to expand on why a Department of Health and Social Care consultation on generic substitution was not progressed because of concerns about patient safety.
Moran asked Kinnock what “specific concerns were raised about patient safety and who were they raised by” and what information Labour used to support its decision not to conduct a further review of serious shortage protocols.