Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September to Question 284853 on prescription fees and charging, whether NHS England will publish its own impact assessment on the effects of the consultation on dispensing doctors.

The Department’s consultation on changes to the reimbursement of pharmacy contractors has now closed and responses are being analysed. The impact assessment that was published alongside the consultation document will be updated with information provided by respondents to the consultation which includes dispensing doctors and bodies representing them. No separate impact assessment will be undertaken by NHS England and NHS Improvement in relation to the consultation.