Following publication of Healthwatch England’s report on pharmacy closures, Company Chemists’ Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said:
“Healthwatch’s report rightly highlights the issue of pharmacy closures which the CCA has highlighted for several years now.
Pharmacies continue to close at an unprecedented rate, with last year seeing the largest number of closures since 2015.
The real-terms cut to core funding of over 30% since 2015 is simply untenable. Without significant additional funding, further pharmacy closures are inevitable, and patients will find it harder to access the medicines and NHS care they need.
The Government must commit to deliver long-term investment in the sector if it is to realise its ambitions for the health service. We hope that the forthcoming budget and next year’s 10-year health plan and comprehensive spending reviews delivers additional investment which protects the access offered by the pharmacy network”.