Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson yesterday (July 18) asked leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell to “urgently grant a debate in government time” to discuss community pharmacy closures and funding.
“The recent closures of two Boots pharmacies in Hampton in my constituency came amid hundreds of other community pharmacy closures across England,” Wilson said.
She added that closures were “driven largely by the financial pressures on community pharmacies from an outdated pharmacy contract”.
Read more: CPE ‘seeking early meetings’ with DH but funding negotiations ‘weeks’ away
And she said that this was “coupled with impenetrable bureaucratic NHS England (NHSE) processes that do not engage with local communities when it comes to closures and new licence applications”.
Powell said that she was “sure” that health secretary Wes Streeting “would welcome a question about this particular matter during health questions next Tuesday (July 23)”.
She added that she knew Streeting “has already been progressing some of these matters”.
“Hopefully the honourable lady’s name will be drawn in the ballot,” Powell said.
Pharmacy motion tabled
Meanwhile, newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton Sarah Dyke “tabled an early day motion calling for more pharmacy provision” in her constituency “on the first day back in parliament following the general election”.
The MP told C+D yesterday (July 18) that two of Glastonbury’s pharmacies “closed last year and the opening of a new high street pharmacy has been delayed due to an appeal”.
“Following a hearing, NHS Resolution announced earlier this month that the new pharmacy could go ahead,” she added.
Read more: Campaign for new Glastonbury pharmacy stalls as festival looms
Dyke said she was “delighted that plans to open another pharmacy in Glastonbury can now go ahead” but added that “it is clear we need greater support for pharmacies in order to avoid more closures in the future”.
“The Liberal Democrats have called for a fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model for pharmacies, built on the Pharmacy First approach,” she added.
Earlier this month, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said that it would seek “early meetings” with new government ministers but that negotiations on a new pharmacy funding deal could be “weeks” away.
At the time, the negotiator said that it was a “helpful start” hear Labour MP Wes Streeting – who was later confirmed as the new health secretary - “recognising the enormous funding pressures that community pharmacies face and the many closures this has led to” in the run-up to the election.
