Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 1 July (HL Deb cols 1032–34), what data the Department of Health and Social Care collects on the reasons for pharmacy closures.

Pharmacies are private businesses and may open or close for a range of reasons. Therefore, while the Department monitors closures within the sector, there is no reliable source of data on the specific reasons for pharmacy closures.

However, access to pharmaceutical services remains good, with 80% of patients able to access a pharmacy within a 20-minute walk. Additionally, there are processes in place to monitor openings and closures, and any reductions and increases in opening hours and their impact.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and they must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards have regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. Options are available to patients to access alternative pharmacies or distance selling pharmacies.