The consultation will set the future direction for the community
pharmacy sector.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has entered into
consultation with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) regarding the
2024/25 and 2025/26 funding contractual framework.
The discussions will set the future direction for community
pharmacy as it plays a vital role in supporting delivery of the
reforms set out in the government's Plan for Change.
A letter signalling the start of the consultation was sent to CPE
on Monday.
Moving the focus of care from hospitals into the community is one
of the three core shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan,
which will be published later this year. The government has
previously outlined its ambition to make better use of
pharmacists' skills and training to deliver more services for
patients within their local communities.
Minister of State for Care, said:
Community pharmacists are at the heart of local healthcare, and
they have a vital role to play as we shift from hospital to
community, giving patients better access to care, closer to home,
through our 10 Year Health Plan.
We have inherited a sector that is suffering from years of
underfunding and neglect, but we recognise the hard work
pharmacists undertake every day to deliver for patients.
I am committed to working closely with Community Pharmacy England
to agree a package of funding that is reflective of the important
support that they provide to patients up and down the country. I
am confident that together we can get the sector back on its feet
and fit for pharmacies and patients long into the future.
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England
said:
We are relieved that discussions on the arrangements for
community pharmacy are now commencing.
Community Pharmacy England will consider very carefully if the
proposals that the Government is putting on the table address the
severity of the funding crisis in community pharmacy.
Everyone in community pharmacy shares the Government's ambition
for a vibrant community pharmacy sector, playing a vital role in
delivering long term health plans, but this can only be achieved
if the sector is put on a sustainable financial footing.
Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care for NHS England,
said:
The NHS knows just how important pharmacies are to local
communities – they offer people convenient care close to home
which is a key ambition of the 10 Year Health Plan.
We recognise that pharmacies are under pressure, and we are
committed to working with the sector and government to ensure
that patients can continue to receive high-quality care building
on the exceptional work of teams over the past few years to
develop and expand new services for patients.
