'The government is committed to addressing the challenges facing community pharmacies and moving the contract negotiations forward quickly'
Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has called for greater collaboration between community pharmacies and GPs in primary care to transform the NHS and create a health system fit for the future.
Speaking on the sidelines of the recent Pharmacy Business Awards, Kinnock said that community pharmacies will be central to driving the three big shifts outlined in the government’s 10-year health plan: from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community.
However, he emphasised the need to shift from competition to collaboration between community pharmacies and GPs in primary care to drive these changes forward.
“We need to enhance the channels of communication and dialogue between the two as well as data sharing.
“I think there's a job for us to do in the department for health and social care to ensure that we get the right culture in place in terms of that shift from competition to collaboration. Because everybody will benefit from that community – pharmacies, primary care, and most importantly, patients,” Kinnock said.
Kinnock revealed that negotiations for a new GP contract are currently in progress, and a big part of that will include incentives to promote better cooperation, communication, and information sharing between community pharmacies and primary care.
“Contracts are one thing, but it's also about changing the culture,” he noted.
“We’re all in this together, and we won’t be able to address the current crisis in our health and care system unless everybody puts the shoulder to the wheel. That's the kind of culture we want to develop across the entire health and care system,” he added.
The minister praised Pharmacy Business Awards for recognising the vital role that pharmacists play.
“It's lovely to be here to celebrate the huge successes that so many community pharmacies have had and to recognise the value that we place in the role that they play in our communities and our health and care system.
“People work so hard all year round, and perhaps sometimes we're not so good at remembering to celebrate our successes. So, an event like this is a great opportunity to do it. There'll be some lucky people who win awards, but I think everybody in the room deserves an award for the vital role that they play,” he said.
He expressed concern at the increasing number of pharmacy closures, and stated that the government is moving quickly to progress negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) 2024-2025.
“When we came into power, we inherited a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, and we're working out of place to resolve that. We have the budget on 30 October. But we are alive to the issues and to the massive financial pressure that community pharmacies are facing. I'm very, very disappointed and saddened by the fact that five pharmacies a week are having to exit the market, and that is something that we need to stop.
“I recently had a very good meeting with Community Pharmacy England, and those contract negotiations are going to be moved forward as rapidly as possible.”
He added that conversations are ongoing, but more clarity will be available after the budget announcement.
“Once we have set out the financial settlement for 2025/26 for the department of health and social care, we're going to have a lot more clarity on how we can move forward in terms of the contract negotiation.”
Kinnock acknowledged the vital role community pharmacies play in easing pressure on the healthcare system by providing upstream support in the community, thereby preventing hospital admissions and reducing the need for GP visits.
He shared that the government aims to support community pharmacy through initiatives such as independent prescribing and the Pharmacy First service.
NPA’s ballot for collective action disappoints pharmacy minister
Kinnock expressed disappointment at the National Pharmacy Association’s (NPA) recent decision to ballot its members on working to rule due to the lack of funding.
“I'm a little bit disappointed by what they've done because we are a government that just came into power on 4 July. We inherited a dire fiscal position from the previous government. We’re working at pace and have rolled up our sleeves to resolve the issues.
“I'm hoping that the entire health and care system, including pharmacies, can see the direction of travel in terms of our desire to marry investment and reform together to completely change the way in which our health and care system works.
“In my view, it would be more constructive to engage in a constructive and positive conversation with Community Pharmacy England and its component parts. I'm not sure that balloting for collective action is helpful in that regard, but of course, it's up to the NPA to decide how they want to take that forward.”
Stephen Kinnock and Dr Zubir Ahmed MP Photo Credit - Edward Lloyd/Alpha Press
A call for unity and collaboration
Kinnock, however, acknowledged the mounting pressures pharmacies faced and urged all stakeholders to come together to support the government’s efforts in rebuilding the healthcare system.
“It's heart-breaking that we've had years of neglect for far too long. Pharmacies have been neglected over the last 14 years. We've seen cuts and a hollowing out of budgets, which has led to increased pressure on the acute and secondary care sectors. This, in turn, has resulted in even more pressure on budgets and lower productivity.
“What we have to do is shift from sickness to prevention, from hospital to community, and from analogue to digital. And the only way we're going to do that is by reforming and investing in the system. We can't do that without you. We can't do that without the sector. So, we need everybody to come together and see this as a team effort, recognising the very challenging situation that we've inherited.
“We are absolutely committed to working together with the sector and all stakeholders to get the NHS and our care system back on its feet and fit for the future.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting said last month that he was committed to reversing the underfunding of general practice, but hasn't as of yet said anything about community pharmacy.
However, Kinnock assured that Streeting is committed to addressing the underfunding of primary care, which includes supporting community pharmacies.
“The secretary of state and I are absolutely committed to addressing the challenges that community pharmacies are facing.
“When the secretary of state spoke about dealing with primary care, he knows that we can't separate that from supporting pharmacies. We see it as two sides of the same coin. These are integrated problems that require an integrated solution.
“So please be reassured that the secretary of state and I see this as a top priority. We know that this is an ecosystem with each part of the system supporting the other, and we're not going to get the NHS back on its feet, and we're not going to get our care system fit for the future unless we have both pharmacies and primary care working together,” he added.
