Following the confirmation that GPs will undertake collective action Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) said:
“We expect pharmacies to see significantly more patients as a result, just as they did during the recent global IT outage.
Patients can already seek treatment via the NHS Pharmacy First service for seven common conditions, without the need to visit a GP. Conditions covered include uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16-64, sore throat, earaches in children, and infected insect bites. Pharmacists will be able to supply prescription-only medicines, free of charge, to eligible patients who need them.
The pressures seen within General Practice are also prevalent within community pharmacy. A decade of underfunding has led to a net loss of 1,200+ pharmacies since 2015, with closures occurring disproportionately in areas of higher deprivation. Pharmacies will only be able to continue to provide NHS services to patients if there is a complete overhaul of the pharmacy contract.
It’s clear that primary care as a whole needs additional funding, if the new Government is to deliver on its ambitions for the whole health service.”