This morning the Government announced Pharmacy First. This is a really positive step forward enabling patients with a variety of specific and common conditions that can easily be treated by antibiotics to secure them direct from pharmacies rather than having to go via their GP. This will make life easier for patients and will free up up to ten million GP appointments per year.
It was clear from my Pharmacy Roundtable in the Autumn that this development would be welcomed by local pharmacies and indeed 96% of pharmacies across England have backed it.
However as I made clear in the Commons we have significant issues at present with pharmacy provision in Horsham. I have been raising these direct with the Minister and I impressed upon her the need for proper support to ensure that this excellent proposal and the pharmacy sector more broadly can succeed and fully meet patients’ needs.
