Pharmacy First: Withholding Payments

Lincoln Jopp Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dr Ahmed]

Pharmacy First is indeed a great initiative. It is not the first in this country; it has been developed in other parts of the country. When we came into office, we worked with the sector and stakeholders, and agreements on remuneration and pricing were reached in conjunction with the sector. What is more, we are addressing the pricing structures and payment mechanisms that are not working and need improvement with a dynamism that was lacking under the previous Government.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

The Trio Pharmacy in Shepperton told me that there are two problems with Pharmacy First. The first is that pharmacies are simply not getting the referrals that they should from GPs. The second is that remuneration for their services does not take into account the amount of time needed for examination, diagnosis and prescription. The Nebel Pharmacy in Sunbury, near where I live, says that the work needs to be looked at as a vocation, because it simply makes no money. That is not sustainable, is it?

[Dr Ahmed]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: we need to unblock the referral pathways. The neighbourhood health service is all about ensuring that the process between general practitioner and pharmacist feels seamless. On payments, we are cognisant of the fact that as demographics change, population needs in different parts of the country vary, so different payment mechanisms must apply. We are closely working with colleagues and stakeholders in the sector to ensure that we get that right.