Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to expand the range of services available from pharmacies on the Isle of Wight; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her proposals for the range of services provided by pharmacies on public healthcare provision on the Isle of Wight.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 sets out how community pharmacy will be integrated into the National Health Service, deliver more clinical services and provide treatment and advice for minor illnesses. Since 2019, services such as minor illness referrals from NHS 111 and general practitioners and blood pressure checks have been introduced.

In September, the Government announced the agreement with the sector for the remainder of the five-year deal including a one-off investment of £100 million. Under the agreement, we will further expand the range of clinical services offered in community pharmacy. Community pharmacists will manage and initiate contraception and provide additional support to patients newly prescribed antidepressants. Urgent emergency care settings will be able to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or an urgent medicine supply. In addition, integrated care boards or NHS England’s regional teams can commission pharmaceutical services and local authorities can commission community pharmacies to provide public health services.