The National Pharmacy Association said it expected “up to 6,000” pharmacies to take part in its second day of action earlier today.

The Save Our Pharmacies protest, which followed a first day of action in June, saw pharmacy teams across the UK wear black to work and black out their windows between 9am and midday. 

It came as the NPA announced plans to ballot member pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on potential work-to-rule action, and also went to Downing St to present a petition for sector funding relief to the Government. 

Over 300,000 people have signed the petition, says the NPA, which brought the chief executives of the Company Chemists’ Association, Community Pharmacy England and Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland to present the petition to Number 10. 

The organisation said it plans to “take a significant delegation” to the Labour Party conference next week, taking a stand at the conference as part of its strategy “to bring pharmacy colleagues together and support powerful, direct advocacy to policymakers”.  

NPA chief executive Paul Rees said: “This second day of action will build on the momentum of the first, to make sure politicians and senior NHS officials are in no doubt about the precarious state of the UK’s precious community pharmacy network. 

“What we need is for government to urgently deliver a fair deal for the community pharmacy sector – and reverse the years of declining real terms funding.

“Wes Streeting took personal notice of our first day of action so this action backs up our representation in Westminster and Whitehall.”