Pharmacists Call Off Collective Action After Funding Deal

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has stepped back from plans for coordinated action that could have led to high street pharmacies in England limiting their opening hours and cutting services in a dispute over funding. 

The decision follows a settlement offer from the government, which the NPA described as a “clear step forward.” 

The association said it now wants to “work with the government” to address long-standing underfunding in the sector.

Ballot Prompted Threat of Service Cuts

The NPA represents around 6srcsrcsrc independent community pharmacies in the UK. 

In November, 99.7% of NPA members who responded to a ballot supported work-to-rule and service reduction measures unless an increase in funding for the sector was agreed. This included proposals to:

• Cut opening hours to contractual minimums
• Withdraw from unpaid services such as free medicine deliveries
• Step back from locally commissioned services, including support for smoking cessation, addiction, and emergency contraception

The NPA had advised pharmacies in England to begin cutting opening hours and reducing services from 1 April if no funding deal was reached. The association warned that rising costs and a decade of real-terms funding cuts could jeopardise patient safety. 

£617 Million Settlement Agreed

On 31 March, the government agreed to a funding settlement with Community Pharmacy England, which represents around 1src,8srcsrc NHS community pharmacies.

The deal included an extra £617 million over 2 years to improve patient access, ease pressure on GPs, and cut waiting lists.

Key measures in the package included:

• Support for patients prescribed antidepressants
• Expansion of in-pharmacy consultations, including Pharmacy First services and blood pressure checks
• Incentives for pharmacists to identify patients with undiagnosed high blood pressure
• Increases in prescription dispensing fees

The government also pledged to write off £193 million of debt for community pharmacy owners.

Pharmacy Sector Still Under Pressure

Despite the new deal, the NPA said its members remain concerned that investment is still significantly below the level needed to meet demand. It said pharmacies in England had seen their funding cut by 4src% in the last decade. Nearly 13srcsrc pharmacies have closed, including 7srcsrc in the last 2 years.

NPA analysis showed that half of all pharmacies made a loss last year. Around 78% were not financially sustainable in the short term. It estimated that community pharmacies faced a funding gap of around £2.5 billion.

The NPA said while individual pharmacies might still have to take cost-saving measures, it would not recommend co-ordinated protest action.

NPA Chair Nick Kaye said that while the funding package was a “strong positive signal,” the situation remained precarious. “It is clear that the government has inherited an intolerable situation, and the latest announcement is a step forward after 11 years of funding squeezes,” he said.

England’s Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock welcomed the decision as “good news for patients around the country.”

Rob Hicks is a retired NHS doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written three books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online. He is based in the UK.