Pharmacies across Britain will this month stage a ‘day of action’ turning off the lights in an ’emergency’ protest over Government pay.
Thousands of chemists, who provide NHS services, are expected to join the ‘unprecedented’ action on June 20 which will see them black out their windows.
National Pharmacy Association (NPA) bosses claimed decade-long funding cuts have left pharmacy teams ‘suffering from increased stress and demoralisation’.
It comes just days after the Conservatives pledged to expand the role of chemists if re-elected by giving them additional powers to prescribe acne medication, HRT drugs for the menopause, as well as contraceptive patches and injections.
Under plans designed to free up millions of GP appointments, pharmacists can already prescribe for seven common ailments.
Thousands of chemists are expected to join the ‘unprecedented’ action on June 20 which will also see windows blacked out. National Pharmacy Association (NPA) bosses, however, warned it was not in a position to recommend a full strike after taking legal advice
Under NHS plans to free up millions of appointments with family doctors, pharmacists can hand out prescriptions for common ailments, meaning patients battling minor illnesses can bypass their GP. Under wider plans, pharmacists will also be offering more blood pressure checks to at-risk patients, with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by spring 2025
But the Tories said they wanted to expand this even further.
Planned protests will see pharmacists take ‘symbolic action’ to draw attention to the challenges faced by the sector, the NPA said.
This includes ‘turning the lights out’ for a few hours, asking staff to wear black or blacking out windows, as well as talking to patients about the protests.
Legally, pharmacy owners are contractually obliged by the NHS to open for their set hours each week.
Withdrawing their labour, similar to the series of strikes which have been held by NHS workers, would likely constitute a breach of their contract.
The NPA added: ‘We would be reluctant to support any action that impairs patient care, but we understand the level of anger that has led to calls for strike action.’
June 20 was chosen specifically as it represents the day the average pharmacy in the UK begins to trade at a loss due to its obligations to the health service.
‘There is typically only enough NHS funding to cover costs for the first three weeks of any month – after which the pharmacy service is effectively subsidised by the business,’ the NPA added.
Latest official figures show just 11,414 community pharmacies are now offering crucial NHS services like blood pressure tests and weight management checks — the fewest since records began.
Almost 400 shut their doors in 2022/23 alone.
But more-up-to-date NHS England data shows the community pharmacy count, as of April 30, 2024, may be as little as 10,506.
Boots has closed branches en masse in recent months, while LloydsPharmacy has shut its doors completely.
Pharmacy bodies argue the sector is also struggling due to spiralling drug prices and costs, staff shortages and an ailing GP service.
They claim pharmacies have been hit by a 30 per cent funding cut since 2015 that has led to more than 1,400 closures.
NPA chief executive Paul Rees said: ‘Funding for community pharmacy has been squeezed over the last decade and as a result it is now a sector in very real distress.
He added: ‘It is also the case that the current medicines shortages crisis is being driven in part by the funding shortfall.
‘Pharmacy teams are finding it is increasingly difficult to deliver excellent patient care – and pharmacy teams themselves are suffering from increased stress and demoralisation.
‘With the general election in full swing, it is vital that the politicians get the message: that there is now an emergency in our community pharmacy sector.’
NHS Business Services Authority data published in October shows in England just 11,414 community pharmacies remained in the 2022/23 financial year
Boots have closed numerous local branches while LloydsPharmacy has shut its doors completely. Pictured: a Lloyds Pharmacy store in Bracknell, Berkshire
It comes as the Conservatives this week proposed extending the Pharmacy First scheme if re-elected.
Under the scheme, patients can turn to chemists for common ailments like sinusitis, infected insect bites and shingles.
The extension would see pharmacies offer contraceptive patches and injections, as well as treatment for other conditions, such as acne and chest infections.
However, the scheme, which only launched in January, is not without its critics.
Some experts have labelled it ‘risky’, warning thousands of patients would inevitably benefit more from ‘the expertise’ of a doctor, rather than just rely on a pharmacist.
GPs have also said processing patient record updates from pharmacies will only add to their bureaucratic workload instead of saving them time.
Following the Tories announcement this week, Mr Rees urged caution over the proposals to add to their NHS duties, warning pharmacies are ‘only just clinging on’.
He said: ‘It’s good news that Rishi Sunak sees a greater role for pharmacies.
‘Giving an ever greater role to community pharmacies is a clear, affordable way to cut waiting times for GPs and hospitals and give convenient, expert care to people on their doorsteps.
‘Ideas like this should be taken up by whoever forms the next government.
‘But the fact is that community pharmacies are chronically underfunded and currently even have to subsidise basic NHS medication because they are not even funded properly for the medicines they dispense.’
‘Hundreds of pharmacies have closed and are currently being forced out of business at the rate of 10 a week. Those that remain open are only just clinging on.’
Source: Mail Online
