The Government has unveiled its new Neighbourhood Health Framework, outlining a vision to bring healthcare closer to communities and make services more accessible for patients.
Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association said:
“We welcome the publication of the Neighbourhood Health Framework and the ambition to deliver care closer to peoples’ homes.
Community pharmacies already epitomise the spirit of the framework through their accessibility and convenience, delivering care closer to homes, and the preventative healthcare services they provide.
It’s encouraging to see a commitment to expand on community pharmacy’s ability to provide clinical care and to harness independent prescribing. Realising this potential will, however, require significant investment. The investment will pay dividends by increasing access and capacity in primary care, both of which are urgently needed.
To ensure community pharmacy can successfully be seen as a first port of call for patients, sustainable funding is required for both new and existing services. This also needs to be backed by national frameworks to avoid postcode lotteries and ensure a consistent core offer wherever patients live.
We look forward to working with NHS partners to integrate community pharmacy into neighbourhood teams in a way that continues to deliver for patients.”