Pharmacies in Peterborough are struggling to stay open without funding
The National Pharmacy Association has urged it's 6,000 members to cut their opening hours from April 1st
Last updated 18th Mar 2025
Pharmacies in Peterborough say they could have to cut services without funding.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has recommended its 6,000 members take collective action for the first time in its history from April 1st if there is no sufficient package agreed with the Government.
The organisation said it has "been left with little choice".
It comes as the sector braces for hikes in employers' national insurance rates and a rise in the national living wage.
There is a real threat to pharmacies
Abbas Bhimani, owner of Netherton Pharmacy, said:
"We are in need of this funding."
"Without the money, we can't pay the staff to do the job."
"We may not have adequate staffing because we simply can't afford it."
"We can offer great services. We are doing flu vaccinations and pharmacy first and things like that; if there's not enough funding, they're probably one of the first things to go."
"Pharmacies have to make a decision about whether they can offer great services or not."
"There is a real threat to pharmacies, and it is true that so many have closed, and that has a big impact on patients."
Pharmacies have to make a decision about whether they can offer great services or not
The advice from the NPA could mean independent pharmacies serving notice on opening hours, leading to fewer being open during the evening and at weekends.
Free home deliveries could also stop, with some services, such as providing emergency contraception and smoking cessation, withdrawn.
Nick Kaye, chairman of the NPA, said:
"We are advising our members to reduce their pharmacy opening hours or take other steps to limit costs in the short term, in order to safeguard patient services for the long term."
"This is not a step anyone of us wants to take, but we have been left with little choice because in just two weeks' time new business costs will be hitting local NHS pharmacies across the country."
"It is better that we temporarily reduce access in the short term than to let pharmacies collapse altogether under the weight of unsustainable operating costs."
According to the NPA, pharmacies are yet to receive any confirmation of funding for the 2024/25 or the 2025/26 financial years.
The trade association is recommending its members reduce opening hours or services until a funding deal is struck to allow them to meet additional cost pressures.
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 Plan for Change."
“We are currently engaging with the sector on a settlement that will start to make it fit for the future and able to provide the services that will benefit patients and the communities that they serve."
“The National Pharmacy Association’s pre-emptive action will cause unnecessary disruption for patients and we urge them to reconsider.”