Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support staff affected by Jhoots’ administration with (a) ensuring continuity of employment within the local pharmacy network and (b) other issues.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.

Where a pharmacy goes into administration, administrators will work to rescue the pharmacy business or sell it.

Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. If the closure of a pharmacy causes a gap in pharmacy provisions, new pharmacies can apply to provide NHS pharmaceutical services. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes.

Pharmacy staff are not employed by the NHS but by pharmacy businesses. Therefore, any dispute between staff and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.