Community pharmacies across Devon, Somerset, and the wider South-west are facing an unprecedented crisis, with mounting closures, staff shortages, and a funding system that has been described as “broken” by MPs on all sides of the political divide.
In a debate at Westminster Hall on 17 December, the future of community pharmacies was laid bare, as MPs from across the South-west shared grim realities from their constituencies.
While each story was different, the message was clear: without immediate government intervention, the community pharmacy system is at risk of collapse, leaving GPs and A&E departments to pick up the pieces.
“The 15 pharmacies in my constituency of Tiverton and Minehead provide a vital service to their communities,” said Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, who spearheaded the debate. “Core pharmacy funding has decreased in real terms by more than 30% since 2016, and costs have gone in exactly the opposite direction.”
Her words echoed the lived experiences of patients and pharmacists alike. In her home village, Ms Gilmour noted that local pharmacists Neil and Anna, who run Bampton Pharmacy, have been a lifeline for the community. But even they are feeling the squeeze, with increasing workloads and dwindling resources.
“Across my constituency, our pharmacies dispense over 113,000 prescriptions each month—20,000 more than there are people living in the constituency,” she revealed.
The economic environment is a major factor in the crisis. As Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, pointed out, pharmacy closures in her constituency are running at nearly double the national average. “Does [Ms Gilmour] agree that the Government should commit to publishing the independent economic analysis commissioned by NHS England in early 2025?” she asked.
Ms Dyke wasn’t alone in calling for greater financial transparency. Sir Ashley Fox, Conservative MP for Bridgwater, highlighted that pharmacies are not being properly reimbursed for the cost of prescription drugs. “The many benefits that community pharmacies provide are in danger because, in many cases, the pharmacist is not reimbursed even for the cost of prescription drugs.” he said, calling on the Government to respond directly to this concern.
MPs agreed that the funding model is unsustainable. Ms Gilmour highlighted that 90% of a pharmacy’s income is derived from NHS funding, but the current system is riddled with flaws. She likened it to “trying to push water uphill with sieves.”
Edward Morello, Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, drew attention to a crisis brewing behind the pharmacy counter. His constituency, with a population of over 100,000, is served by just 18 active pharmacies. “Workforce shortages exacerbate the strain,” he explained. In Dorset’s Integrated Care System alone, 47 pharmacy vacancies remain unfilled, with a vacancy rate of 19%—well above the national average.
The impact on patients is significant. “For patients, that means longer waiting times, reduced services and less access to advice for urgent healthcare concerns,” Mr Morello warned. Staff, too, are feeling the strain, with many facing “unsustainable workloads, difficulties in sourcing medicines, and, most alarmingly, increases in patient abuse.”
This theme was echoed by Labour MP Sadik Al-Hassan, a former pharmacist himself, who recounted his two-decade career in community pharmacies across the South-west. “Over the past two decades, I have had the privilege of working in a range of community pharmacies, from Bideford in north Devon to the heart of Bristol,” he said. “I am sad to say that I also experienced many of the challenges that the sector now faces.”
Mr Al-Hassan’s personal connection to the sector was palpable. He called for urgent reform, including the introduction of the ‘hub-and-spoke’ dispensing model, which would allow smaller pharmacies to benefit from the same centralised efficiencies that larger pharmacy chains have been using for years.
Stephen Kinnock, Labour Minister for Care, admitted that community pharmacy had been “starved of funding” under previous governments. “On 4 July, we inherited a system that has been starved of funding, with a 28% cut in funding in real terms,” Kinnock said. While acknowledging the severity of the crisis, he pledged action.
“Community pharmacies are a vital part of our NHS that must be recognised in the development of the Government’s 10-year plan,” he added. As part of that plan, Kinnock promised to explore independent prescribing rights for pharmacists, giving them the authority to prescribe certain medications directly to patients. This would expand on the existing “Pharmacy First” initiative, which allows pharmacists to treat a limited range of conditions to ease pressure on GPs.
But Mr Kinnock also acknowledged the delay in negotiations over the new funding settlement. “The reason for the delay is that the negotiations did not get over the line before the general election,” he said. Despite this, he promised that talks would begin in early 2025.
The commitment to support community pharmacies was welcomed, but Rachel Gilmour was blunt in her response. “The Health and Social Care Committee reported in May that the potential for pharmacy to improve access to health care… can only be realised with the right support and the right investment of public funding,” she noted. “Why, then, are we not hearing anything from the Government about support for pharmacies?”
Her frustration is shared by the communities affected. Public polling shows that 83% of people would be concerned about their local pharmacy closing. Yet closures are already happening, and most are occurring in the country’s most deprived areas. Data from Community Pharmacy England reveals that half of pharmacy closures are in areas with the highest levels of deprivation.
Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, argued that his constituency had already seen the benefits of Pharmacy First, which saved 556 GP appointments in just a few months. But with the scheme limited to just seven conditions in England (compared to 27 in Wales and 30 in Scotland), many feel it needs significant expansion.
For those on the frontlines, it’s a matter of survival. Sadik Al-Hassan’s added: “Pharmacy has cut every ounce of fat that can be cut, and all that is left is bone.” If pharmacies are forced to close, it won’t just be a blow to the healthcare system; it will be a blow to the communities that rely on them.
Edward Morello concluded: “Community pharmacies are not just businesses; they help to support our strained healthcare systems and are a part of our communities. For the people of West Dorset, and for millions across the country, we cannot afford to let them falter.”
The Government’s upcoming 10-year health plan will be the next major milestone for the sector. MPs are calling for it to include expanded Pharmacy First services, the adoption of the hub-and-spoke model, and—most importantly—a reformed funding model that recognises the essential role pharmacies play in our health system.
Mr Kinnock said “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewrite the story of pharmacy, but community pharmacy has a pivotal role to play only if we proactively engage with the sector, rather than leave it out in the cold for another 14 years.”