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High Street Pharmacies Face Closure Threat
11 Oct
Summary
- Pharmacies demand business rates reimbursement like GPs and dentists.
- Hundreds of pharmacies closed last year, thousands in the past decade.
- Extra funding of £340 million has been allocated to community pharmacies.
High street pharmacies are issuing stark warnings about potential business closures, citing an unfair burden of unreimbursed business rates. Unlike GP practices and NHS dental surgeries, pharmacists argue they are taxed as ordinary retailers despite providing essential NHS services such as vaccinations, contraception, and blood pressure checks.
The Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) is urgently seeking a reform to business rates, highlighting that hundreds of pharmacies closed last year alone. Over the past decade, more than 1,500 pharmacies have disappeared from England's high streets, impacting local healthcare access.
Leyla Hannbeck, IPA's chief executive, stated the current system is inequitable, particularly when compared to government support offered to other high-street businesses like pubs. She emphasized that pharmacies are the 'front door of the NHS' for millions and integral to community healthcare.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the vital role of pharmacies, announcing an additional £340 million investment this year for community pharmacy. This funding aims to address rising costs and support the valuable additional services being provided.
