Herts County Council Speaks Out Against Government Cuts In Pharmacy Funding

At the Adult Care and Health Cabinet Panel on 3rd February, following debate on the Liberal Democrat Motion referred from the Council Meeting of 15th November 2016, an amended motion was agreed by the Cabinet Panel :-

"Hertfordshire County Council believes that the local pharmacies have an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of the population and that they are being underused as part of the response to the health and social needs of local communities.

The Adult Care and Health Cabinet Panel: i ) Asks the Chairman to write through the Health and Wellbeing Board to NHS England commissioners to highlight the importance of access to pharmacies and pharmacy services throughout the County, especially in rural areas and the vital role local pharmacies have in supporting vulnerable people, and to urge the discontinuation of any reductions.

ii) Notes the representations already made by the Chairman of the Public Health Localism and Libraries Cabinet Panel

iii) Asks the Director of Public Health during the commissioning and production of the next pharmaceutical needs assessment to consider the impact of these changes if the regulations on the National Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee allow this."

Councillor Ron Tindall (Liberal Democrat Opposition Spokesperson) said "At a time when we are asking Pharmacists to do more to take pressure off GPs and A&E departments, the government has introduced cuts to pharmacy funding that fly in the face of economic reality [see financial detail below], and which could lead to local community closures".

Councillor Nick Hollinghurst (Tring and the Villages) added "community pharmacists play a far bigger role that many people realise ands we need to stop the closure of local pharmacists at the heart of the community. Government funding policies are resulting in a breakdown and fragmentation of our NHS and Social Care Services".