Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Deferred
Support for smaller pharmacies is needed to provide private clinical consultation spaces.
Conclusion
Community pharmacies offering clinical services must have private, comfortable spaces in which to see patients. We acknowledge the minister’s comments around pharmacies being private businesses, but they are ultimately expected to provide NHS services. As the expanding availability of clinical services in pharmacy settings is encouraged, we believe a more balanced approach is needed to support smaller, particularly independent, pharmacies to keep up with larger ones and have the resources to create the appropriate conditions in which to provide the new services that the Government and the public want to see. (Paragraph 105) 46 Pharmacy
Government response summary AI-generated
The government deflected the recommendation regarding private consultation spaces by focusing on the refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan and workforce development, including supporting pharmacists to become independent prescribers and piloting an Independent Prescriber Pathfinder Programme.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Reject. The establishment payment was paid out to all pharmacies dispensing at least 2,500 prescriptions per month and was phased out between 2016 and 2021 following reforms to the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. Almost all pharmacy funding is now paid out based on activity, so every item dispensed, or every service delivered attracts a payment which set to cover pharmacies’ costs in delivering the service. Those pharmacies participating in Pharmacy First will already receive a £1000 monthly fixed payment to support them to deliver clinical services if the pharmacy has reached the minimum threshold of clinical pathway consultations for that month.
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