Cross-sector team to present ‘Save Our Pharmacies’ petition to Number 10

They have called on the government to urgently deliver a fair deal for the community pharmacy sector and reverse years of declining real-term funding to 'Save Our Pharmacies’

Pharmacy teams across the country are joining forces for the second day of protest, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), as part of its #SaveOurPharmacies campaign, on Thursday (September 19).

A cross-sector delegation will present a petition signed by a record-breaking 350,000 people to No 10 Downing Street.

The delegation will include National Pharmacy Association (NPA) CEO Paul Rees, NPA Chair Nick Kaye, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) Chief Executive Janet Morrison, Company Chemists' Association (CCA) CEO Malcolm Harrison, and Community Pharmacy NI Chief Executive Gerard Greene,

The Save Our Pharmacies petition has surpassed the previous record held by a Royal College of GPs in 2014, whose petition, addressing the issue of general practice funding, secured 300,000 signatures.

The NPA is hopeful that this show of solidarity by pharmacy teams will make a difference and open up conversations in Westminster and Whitehall.

NPA chief executive, Paul Rees, said: “This second day of action will build on the momentum of the first, to make sure politicians and senior NHS officials are in no doubt about the precarious state of the UK’s precious community pharmacy network.

“What we need is for government to urgently deliver a fair deal for the community pharmacy sector – and reverse the years of declining real terms funding.

“Wes Streeting took personal notice of our first day of action so this action backs up our representation in Westminster and Whitehall.”

Up to 6,000 pharmacies are anticipated to participate in the second day of action, with pharmacy teams nationwide engaging in activities such as wearing black, blacking out windows, and turning off lights from 9 am to midday.

The NPA is also preparing to take a significant delegation to the Labour Party Conference next week, where they will present a comprehensive stand on how community pharmacy can help fulfil the government’s objective of reducing GP and hospital waiting times.

This is another part of NPA’s strategy to “bring pharmacy colleagues together and support powerful direct advocacy to policymakers.”

The #SaveOurPharmacies campaign aims to draw attention to the severe crisis in pharmacy funding that has forced 1,400 pharmacies to close over the past decade and left thousands more struggling.