Witham MP visits Tollesbury Pharmacy to discuss the future of the sector
Priti Patel, MP for the Witham constituency, recently met with representatives from Community Pharmacy England (CPE) and local pharmacists at Tollesbury Pharmacy in the constituency.
During her visit, Priti met with pharmacy owner Mr Dimple Bhatia, Ms Janet Morrison (Chief Executive of CPE) and Karen Samuel-Smith (Chief Officer for Essex at CPE). Priti has been championing local pharmacy services and has consistently pressed the last Conservative Government on the need to address issues with NHS England on prescription tariffs and ensure that local independent pharmacists are fully reimbursed for the costs of every prescription they provide for local patients. Currently this is not case because of the tariffs set by NHS England for medicines, this means local pharmacists are subsidising NHS prescriptions and they are being left with financial shortfalls because of this falling NHS system.
Priti also discussed the need to promote the Pharmacy First scheme, which was launched by the last Government but is still not being fully utilised locally because GPs are not referring patients to the scheme. The Pharmacy First service now has more than 95% of pharmacies signed up to support local patients in order to enable patients to get help and medical advice with minor illnesses, and should therefore reduce pressures on GPs and local hospitals.
Speaking after the meeting Priti said: “I am grateful to Mr Dimple Bhatia for hosting us all today at Tollesbury Pharmacy to discuss these important issues. Mr Bhatia and I have meet frequently discussed many of these important issues so I am delighted that Community Pharmacy England visited Tollesbury Pharmacy with me to hear at first hand the issues that independent pharmacies are facing and to work with me to promote the work of our pharmacies and press the Labour Government on changes to the payment to pharmacies to stop the loss of these vital services in local communities. Pharmacies cannot subsidise the NHS medicines bill and while the concessions system is designed to help prevent this, the system is no longer coping with the current price volatility in the market. This Government needs to act now and listen to and support our excellent pharmacists.”