Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the exclusion of pharmacists from the shortage occupation list and the effect of that exclusion on the community pharmacy sector.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with the Home Secretary on a range of subjects including immigration policy and its impact on the health and social care sectors.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the National Health Service has the right number of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals that it needs.

Latest NHS Digital data shows there are 4,300 more pharmacists in March 2019 than there were in March 2010.