Following the announcement that a refreshed NHS workforce plan would be unveiled in summer 2025, Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the CCA said:
“We have yet to see any detail as to how the current NHS Long Term Workforce Plan’s aims will be implemented. In particular, the commitment to expand training places for pharmacists by 29% to around 4,300 by 2028/29, and the pledge that ARRS expansion would be “carefully managed” to account for the additional training of pharmacists.
It’s frustrating that we keep jumping from plan to plan, when the focus should be on delivering the plans already in place. We hope that the upcoming workforce plan does not water down any previous pledges made.
The increased focus on community provision is of course welcome but we now need action to address the community pharmacy workforce crisis”.