Mr Mowat laid out the plans in the House of Commons today and he insisted the government “appreciates the value” of the pharmacy sector. But he stressed the current system does not do enough to “promote efficiency or quality”. The plan is that Establishment payments will be cut from December of this year the government announced today and only 1 in 10 pharmacies will be eligible for any compensation. The fee currently is £2092 monthly and will tumble to £1255 a month from April 2017. The payment will be phased out completely over the coming years.
Efficiency and Quality ?
Many pharmacies are struggling to complete all the compliance requirements currently required by NHS England and GPhC and having to make further efficiencies may actually reduce quality not increase it! There is now a real threat to the survival of some of our established small businesses who have served local communities for years.
Pharmacy Voice described the government’s plans for significant pharmacy funding cuts as “incoherent, self-defeating and whole unacceptable”.
Chief executive Rob Darracott said the government appears “hell-bent on pressing ahead” with its policy and has “replaced warm words with increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
Monies will be made available to help some pharmacies “develop new clinical pharmacy services, working practices and digital platforms”, and result in “more integrated and effective NHS primary care for patients”. How will they select the pharmacies that will be helped to deliver clinical services?