The Vital Role of Community Pharmacies

Every week, community pharmacies help over a million people access vital and timely support from a health professional. They don’t just save the NHS an estimated 38 million GP appointments each year, but offer reassurance and quick access to prescriptions for people managing everyday health concerns or long-term conditions.

This is especially important in rural communities across Newbury and West Berkshire, where the local pharmacy acts as a crucial first point of contact for many residents. Being able to walk in and speak to someone you trust so close to home makes a real difference.

As Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy, I see first-hand the national picture facing the sector, and I am determined to ensure the voices of local pharmacists and patients are heard in Parliament.

However, when I visited local pharmacies, including Lambourn Pharmacy, staff have been honest about the deep-rooted pressures they’re facing:

• Funding remains inadequate – despite the government commissioned Lord Darzi report acknowledging “huge potential” in the pharmacy sector, an estimated £2 billion funding gap continues to put them under enormous financial pressure. 

• Medicine shortages are growing, with over 1,500 reports made by pharmacy owners between May 2024 and April 2025.

• Ongoing workforce shortages, with the number of full-time community pharmacists at its lowest level since workforce data began in 2017.

  
  

Despite these challenges, pharmacists are ready and waiting to do more. I was reminded of that earlier this week at the National Pharmacy Association’s Winter Reception. Pharmacies like Lambourn – and many others across the country – are eager to expand clinical services, support initiatives like Pharmacy First, and play a bigger role in providing high-quality care in the community.

The NHS’s 10 Year Health Plan acknowledges the significant benefits of this shift, and while progress has been made through the rollout of new neighbourhood health services, they will only succeed if community pharmacies are properly backed at their heart. By providing a long-term financial settlement that addresses the funding shortfall and empowering qualified pharmacists with greater prescription and advisory responsibilities, we can turn things around.

With other areas of the NHS stretching beyond breaking point, and pharmacies in England closing at a rate of around ten a month, the danger is clear. Without suitable action, we risk losing the very providers needed to lead the shift towards accessible, community-based care.