Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what estimate he has made of the number of locum pharmacists who have lost earned income as a result of the closure of Jhoots Pharmacies; and what guidance his Department has issued to ensure those pharmacists receive such payments.

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

The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.

Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.

The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.

Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.

Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists 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.