Stop-gap £50m funding for community pharmacy

Responding to news of a £50 million advance payment for community pharmacy in England, RPS England Chair Claire Anderson said:

“Pharmacy teams continue to work tirelessly to support patients, the Government and the NHS during the COVID-19 crisis.

“While this funding may help pharmacies stay open to provide vital services and healthcare advice to the public, it’s another stop-gap measure and should be coming from new money, rather than an advance payment. The Government should review this as part of a fair funding settlement for the longer-term.

“The ‘new normal’ for the NHS coping with COVID-19 will need a contract which makes the most of pharmacists’ clinical skills to support patients, improve medicines safety, and help people stay healthy and out of hospital.

“The NHS and Government now need to back pharmacy and build on the incredible work the profession during COVID-19 to support patient care.”