Community pharmacy responds to government changes

Community pharmacy organisations have welcomed the appointment of Yvette Cooper as Health Secretary following Andy Burnham's appointment as Prime Minister, while calling on the new government to build on recent progress and address the ongoing challenges facing the sector. 

Cooper replaces James Murray as Health Secretary, while former pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has become Secretary of State for Wales. His replacement is – at time of writing - yet to be announced. 

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said pharmacies remain under considerable pressure and stressed that maintaining momentum on reform, sector sustainability and investment will be vital. Chief executive Janet Morrison said CPE looks forward to working constructively with the new Health Secretary to help deliver the government's health ambitions, alongside the support and reform community pharmacies need. 

The Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) also welcomed the appointment, with chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck calling for action to end the situation where pharmacies are forced to dispense medicines at a loss. She also urged the government to address the disparity whereby GP surgeries and dental practices receive business rates reimbursement for NHS services while community pharmacies do not. 

Reflecting on Stephen Kinnock's time as pharmacy minister, both CPE and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) thanked him for his engagement with the sector. NPA chief executive Henry Gregg acknowledged Kinnock's work to begin reversing a decade of funding cuts but said "there is still a long way to go". 

The NPA used the ministerial changes to reiterate its call for community pharmacies to become a central part of primary care reform. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, it argued that the existing pharmacy network should play a key role in moving more care out of hospitals and into local communities, while warning that sustained financial pressures continue to put local pharmacies at risk. 

While the sector has welcomed the new ministerial team, pharmacy leaders have been united in their message that continued reform, targeted investment and greater recognition of community pharmacy's role will be essential if the government's ambitions for neighbourhood healthcare are to be realised.