Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the size of the community pharmacy workforce on the level of pressure on NHS services.

Data from Health Education England’s community pharmacy workforce survey indicates that in 2021 there were 27,406 full time equivalent pharmacists working in community pharmacy, an 18% increase from 2017. Health Education England’s latest annual community pharmacy workforce survey is underway and the Department and NHS England will continue to monitor the pharmacy workforce in all settings.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 commits £2.592 billion per year to community pharmacy and sets out how community pharmacy will be more integrated into the National Health Service, deliver more clinical services and provide treatment and advice for minor illnesses. On 22 September, we announced the agreement with the sector for the remainder of the five-year deal, which includes a further one-off investment of £100 million. This funding enables community pharmacists to further expand the range of clinical services offered, including managing and initiating contraception and providing extra support for patients newly prescribed antidepressants. In addition, urgent and emergency care settings will be able to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or an urgent medicine supply.