Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with community pharmacies on the support those pharmacies can provide to the NHS through (a) supporting routine health care and (b) preparing people for the winter period.

The Department has regular discussions with the community pharmacy sector. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 agrees a range of services support people to live healthily, including advice on minor illness and healthy living, to effectively use medications and services to identify people at risk of developing disease. Community pharmacy also has an increasing role in the flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes and are offering free lateral flow testing.