More than one in three pharmacies may not survive this winter without urgent financial support, industry leaders have warned.
Owners warn the closures will leave patients without the care they need and increase pressure on other parts of the NHS.
It comes amid growing demand for help from customers with more complex needs – combined with a rise in the minimum wage and national insurance payments from employers.
A new poll from trade body Community Pharmacy England shows that 96 per cent of pharmacy owners are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about their businesses’ ability to cope with winter pressures.
In fact, around 39 percent fear their business will not survive in the coming months, while 70 percent say patient safety could be compromised.
The survey among 58 pharmacy owners or head office representatives, who together represent
From 3,565 pharmacies across England, 81 percent expect patients to experience longer waiting times for medicines and 73 percent expect a reduction in the availability of services.
A third (33 percent) expect to have to limit opening hours.
A new poll from trade body Community Pharmacy England shows that 96 percent of pharmacy owners are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about their business’s ability to cope with winter pressures (file image)
Owners warn the closures will leave patients without the care they need and increase pressure on other parts of the NHS (file image)
The Daily Mail is campaigning to save High Street pharmacies and recognizes the vital role they play in keeping communities thriving and healthy.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: ‘Community pharmacies will simply not be able to withstand another season of winter pressure, and if they collapse the impact on businesses and their staff, on patients, on the wider NHS and the ultimate impact on the country’s health will be unthinkable.
‘Years of underfunding, with cuts of 30 percent in real terms, have left community pharmacies struggling to survive.
They will continue to do everything they can to stay open and serve their patients, and they still have big ambitions to do even more to help people and the NHS in the future, but pharmacies need urgent support now.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We have inherited a broken system that is failing to support pharmacists in delivering care to their communities.
‘Community pharmacy has a crucial role to play as we shift the focus of the NHS from hospitals to the community through our 10 Year Health Plan.
‘At the Budget we announced an additional £26 billion for the NHS and social care, and we will provide details of next year’s funding in due course.’