NHS: Community Pharmacies Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Baroness Janke
Main Page: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Janke's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(7 years, 5 months ago)
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Lord Prior of Brampton
This party does believe in competition. But it also believes that the NHS’s supporting community pharmacies to a very large extent when 40% of them are in clusters of three or more within 10 minutes’ walk from each other, and paying an establishment fee to each of those pharmacies, is probably not a very good allocation of resources.
Baroness Janke (LD)
My Lords, have the Government yet published the cost-based evidence for the cuts to the community pharmacies budget, and what safeguards will they put in place to ensure that the most needy communities are not hit hardest by the cuts to the pharmacies budget?
Lord Prior of Brampton
The pharmacy access scheme is being set up to deliver exactly what the noble Baroness is asking for—that rural pharmacies and those in very deprived areas will receive greater payments than others. I am not quite sure what report she is referring to. I will have to look at her question afterwards and write to her.