Oxfordshire MP says pharmacies are struggling to "make ends meet"
More than 200 pharmacies across the country closed last year
A local MP is calling on the government to strike a 'fair and reasonable' deal with pharmacies to strengthen the NHS, after we’ve seen closures in Oxfordshire and across the country.
A report from the National Pharmacy Association finds that more than 200 pharmacies have shut their doors for the last time in 2024, which is the second-highest yearly total on record.
“High level of financial uncertainty”
Pharmacies are currently struggling with rising costs, medicine shortages, and challenges in recruitment for their workforce.
Calum Miller, Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock told us: “They have uncertainty about the prices that they're going to receive, not only for the drugs that they provide for their patients, but also for some of the services that they provide.
“As you can imagine, that makes it a really uncertain time as they try to press ahead still serving their communities, but with a high level of financial uncertainty… making it harder for them to make ends meet when it comes to the end of the financial year.
“It's also quite challenging for them to recruit qualified pharmacists to work in community practises. It is a tough job, quite long hours that are demanding at times and so they do struggle with recruitment.”
Mr Miller added: “Liberal Democrats have called on the government to improve the offer to pharmacists to give them greater certainty by striking a fair and reasonable contract with them, and to make sure that they are brought into the conversations about strengthening the NHS and delivering frontline services.”
Last Friday, Mr Miller visited Jardine’s Pharmacy in Bure Park, Bicester, as part of his listening tour of local NHS providers.
He says, “Community pharmacies are delivering such an important service to patients. Yet they are too often left out of discussions by central government and not treated as they should be as key partners in frontline healthcare.
“Across the country - and in Kidlington and Bicester - we have seen pharmacies close when they could instead be providing more services to patients, taking the load off over-stretched GP practices.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Community pharmacy has a vital role to play as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community, through our 10 Year Health Plan.
“We will work with the sector, making better use of the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, to build a service fit for the future.”