Last week I dropped by to see Ashlyn and Lisa at O’Brien’s Pharmacy in Fleetwood to see the exemplary work that they are doing and to discuss some of the very serious challenges that community pharmacy is currently facing.

The team at O’Brien’s in Fleetwood are highly skilled, hardworking and community focused. They go above and beyond offering innovate services to patients, relieving pressures on GP’s and A&E. During my visit I saw first-hand the free atrial fibrillation testing they offer that can detect risk of stroke, this is just one example of how our community pharmacies are actively preventing deaths and alleviating NHS pressures.

Across this constituency, we are facing several pharmacy closures. From speaking with local pharmacists and managers it is obvious that Community Pharmacy is in real crisis. They are an essential part of our healthcare system and contain huge potential for tackling backlogs and reducing broader pressures on the NHS.

The current Contractual Framework that the Government implemented in 2019 is not fit for purpose. Pharmacies have been impacted by global economic pressures compounded by escalating workforce costs, dispensing at a loss, inflation, and rising demand from patients. The Government have been quick to forget that Community pharmacies were front-line heroes during the pandemic; administering testing, facilitating the vaccine roll out and offering lifesaving patient care.

I have previously written to the Department for Health and Social Care calling on the Government to provide more funding for the future of pharmacies, and I am disappointed that sufficient support has still not yet been provided.

It is unacceptable that local pharmacies are being forced to close due to failing Government intervention. Pharmacies are the first port of call for many people, especially in rural areas and it is troubling that these services are being decimated.

The Government need to take action now, before more pharmacies are forced to shut, and I will continue to raise the alarm on this with Ministers at every given opportunity.