The likely closure of thousands of local pharmacies in the face of deep government cuts is a bitter pill to swallow for many, especially those living in rural areas who have to travel long distances to their nearest pharmacy. The worst affected would be pensioners and the other vulnerable living in areas where the public transport is poor or non-existent.
Health Minister Alistair Burt said that a quarter of the 12,000 community chemists in England could close as a result of the £170 million subsidy ending this financial year. The Government had announced last December it would be cutting the budget for chemists by £170m during 2016/17, starting in October.
Campaigners are outraged at the plans and have voiced concern that some areas may be left with no local chemist.
Ministers argue that they want to thin out “clusters” of pharmacies, directly funded by the Department of Health, serving the same area.
Also, keeping things on tenterhooks is officials do not know which ones might be forced to shut.
In a Commons debate, Health Minister Burt said “up to 3,000 pharmacies could be affected” but admitted that he was “extrapolating” and it was not clear how many might shut.
MPs from across the political divide are fighting to prevent the closure.
Last week a cross-party group of MPs, including Labour's Michael Dugher, Tory Derek Thomas and Liberal Democrat former health minister Norman Lamb, delivered a petition to Downing Street against the cuts.
Stephen McPartland, Tory MP for Stevenage, was quoted in The Daily Telegraph as saying: “It does not make sense that we are encouraging pharmacies to take on a bigger role in the NHS, while potentially reducing the number. We just need to understand the impact before pressing ahead.”
The proposal to remove financial support for many rural pharmacies has been made in utter disregard of the significant role that rural chemists play in many communities. A pharmacy can be an essential source of medical help for people who live far from a doctor's surgery, and for people who live near one but struggle to get an appointment.
