Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer recognised the ‘vital’ services provided by pharmacy teams and confirmed that pharmacy was ‘at the heart’ of neighbourhood health, in a letter to the sector.
The prime minister wrote: ‘This Government recognises the incredible impact of the services provided by pharmacy teams and the vital role you play in communities across the country. That is why we have placed community pharmacy at the heart of our ambition for a Neighbourhood Health Service, as set out in Fit for the Future: The 10-Year Health Plan for England.
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‘We have already begun delivering legislative changes to cut the red tape that we know has limited your ability to innovate and spend time with patients.’
Sir Keir also thanked pharmacists for their continued dedication to providing valuable services to patients and said he looked forward to working together to deliver the 10-Year Plan.
The letter, addressed to the Sigma UK Conference and the wider pharmacy sector, was read out by Matthew Turmaine, Labour MP for Watford, at the conference on 9 November.
Mr Turmaine said the government was taking community pharmacy seriously and reiterated what Keir Starmer wrote in his letter – that community pharmacists are at the ‘heart of local healthcare’ and on the ‘frontline’ of ensuring medicine safety.
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He said the government’s ambition now, after a ‘decade of underfunding and neglect’, is to make better use of pharmacists’ skillsets to deliver more services for patients within their local communities.
The 2024 general election saw a record number of new MPs inducted into the House of Commons, he added. ‘That energy and enthusiasm mean that now is a really good time to engage with us in order to drive things forward and get things done.’
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A video message from health minister Stephen Kinnock was also played at the conference, thanking pharmacy teams for their dedication to delivering excellent patient care.
He said: ‘Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are highly trained professionals. I and this government have listened. We recognise how much untapped potential there is to build on the important work we all do already.’
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