Save our pharmacies to fix our NHS

#SaveOurPharmacies to guarantee local, accessible healthcare to support the NHS and help end the 8am appointments scramble

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Save our pharmacies to fix our NHS

Community pharmacy needs fixing. And fixing now. So we can transform local health services for millions of people.

In England:

  • 1,500 community pharmacies have closed in the last decade
  • 7 pharmacies are closing a week, and
  • Three quarters of pharmacies are in the red.

Pharmacies have also closed in Wales and Northern Ireland. And, in Scotland, there is now a risk of closures in the near future.

This matters because pharmacies are a lifeline for millions of people. They dispense vital medication, they offer local healthcare advice – often saving lives when they spot serious health issues, they can identify and treat minor ailments and they know their local communities.

Pharmacies are the heart of communities and support people – particularly the vulnerable – in so many ways. We cannot afford to lose them.

The good news is that investment in community pharmacies improves access to healthcare, improves care and eases the pressure on the NHS.

Ending the crisis in NHS Community Pharmacy needs significant, but not overwhelming, investment.

Investment that would yield significant improvements for patients in the short to medium term, leading to better health outcomes.

We’re saying loud and clear the pharmacy funding model is broken

Closures are unacceptable, the workforce crisis is hitting community pharmacies and their patients, and patients are missing out on services which pharmacies could provide.

Wes Streeting has said the NHS is broken but we need action on funding for our sector.

  • The NPA has balloted its members on working to rule to highlight that pharmacies simply cannot afford to carry on after a decade of cuts. We embrace reform and change that can make a profound difference to the millions of people we serve. But we need to stop the closures and make sure there is a sustainable pharmacy network for the future.
  • On 19 September 2024, thousands of pharmacies joined the NPA in its second day of action and garnered huge attention in the media for our much-loved and trusted pharmacy network. We delivered a 350,000-strong petition to Downing Street showing that the public supports pharmacies and wants them to thrive.
  • On 20 June 2024 the NPA held the first ever day of action across community pharmacy in support of the Save our Pharmacies campaign and many key politicians, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, took note. Up to 6,000 pharmacies across the four nations joined us for the day of action, the campaign was supported by the Lib Dems, Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle, from members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Health, and many other MPs and candidates. Read about our amazing success

Download #saveourpharmacies campaign resources here 

Find out more information about our campaign for government to fund our pharmacies properly here.

Follow us on our social channels, and don’t forget to tag us so you can be featured. We’ll be sharing throughout the week, so it’s a perfect opportunity to tune into our channels and discover our campaign work!