Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the cost to pharmacies of people failing to collect prescriptions in each of the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has made no such estimate. However, for people, who have been advised to shield, there is the NHS Medicine Delivery Service to ensure they do not need to collect their prescriptions. Pharmacy contractors are remunerated for ensuring the shielded population get their medicines delivered. Where pharmacies make the delivery themselves, they receive payment. Vulnerable people, not those advised to shield, can make use of National Health Service volunteers to get their medicines delivered.

We recognise the financial pressures community pharmacies have been facing due to COVID-19 and, since March, have made available £350 million in extra advance payments to alleviate cash flow pressures.