The petition of residents of South West Devon,

Declares that the potential closure of Newton Ferrers Pharmacy is causing significant concern for the local community; further declares that the pressures placed on local pharmacies include inadequate funding, rising operating costs, the difficulty in recruiting and retaining community pharmacists, and the recent rise in National Insurance rates for employers, which is expected to cost pharmacies an additional £50 million; further notes that these closures have led to increased pressure on GP surgeries and hospitals, as patients are forced to seek alternative care options; and acknowledges that the vital role that community pharmacies play in providing accessible, convenient, and cost-effective healthcare to local populations should be recognised in the renegotiated Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take immediate action to address the challenges facing community pharmacies, including assessing the adequacy of funding in this area, providing support to reduce operating costs, addressing the impact of national insurance rises, and improving workforce retention strategies in the lead-up to the renegotiation of the community pharmacy contractual framework.

And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Rebecca Smith, Official Report, 3 March 2025; Vol. 763, c. 124.]

[P003048]

Observations from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock):

The Government recognise that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible “front door” to the NHS, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. To support patient access, pharmacies in the areas where there are fewer pharmacies, including Newton Ferrers pharmacy, receive additional funding through the pharmacy access scheme.

The Government have recently announced a record uplift to funding for community pharmacy which will see funding increase to £3.073 billion from April 2025. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS in 2025-26, and over 19% across 2024-25 and 2025-26.

In addition, we will write off £193 million debt and have confirmed an additional £215 million to grow the Pharmacy First service. This shows the Government commitment to delivering stability for the future and rebuilding the sector.

This deal will support all community pharmacies, including those located in the heart of their communities, such as the pharmacy in Newton Ferrers, as well as those providing services at a distance to patients across the country.

Whilst recruitment and retention is a matter for these private businesses, we are supporting employers, by providing a number of fully funded national training opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to help support the delivery of quality NHS services.

In terms of pipeline supply of pharmacy students, nationally the number of students is good, but we recognise that it is regionally variable, with the main schools of pharmacy clustered in London and the midlands, with fewer schools of pharmacy in the south-west, east of England and north-east. NHS England and the General Pharmaceutical Council have been working with education providers to increase training places, including the establishment of a new school of pharmacy at Plymouth University, which will improve training opportunities and build workforce resilience in the south-west.