Calderdale pharmacist calls for funding to protect vital community service

An independent pharmacist in Halifax has called on the government to provide enough funding to help keep more of them open.
Pharmacist David Wilkinson at Heath Pharmacy, Halifax.Pharmacist David Wilkinson at Heath Pharmacy, Halifax.
Pharmacist David Wilkinson at Heath Pharmacy, Halifax.

David Wilkinson has been a pharmacist at Heath Pharmacy for 44 years and has urged the government to recognise the vital role they play in their local communities by reversing cuts made a few years ago.

“In 2016 the government cut pharmacy funding in England by £113m, approximately 12 per cent,” he said, “with the expectation of up to 3,000 pharmacies closing. More than 200 closed in 2020 alone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The financial pressures have forced most pharmacies to reduce staffing hours, cut services offered to patients and charge for some services that were offered for free such as deliveries.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how vital local pharmacies are to their communities.

“Local pharmacies remained open and continued to provide services throughout the pandemic, with local GP surgeries and many other healthcare service difficult to access.

“Initially staff in pharmacies struggled to access PPE and worked throughout under considerable pressure with unprecedented demand for our services.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Deliveries to vulnerable patients afraid to leave home during the pandemic increased dramatically.

“Despite promising to meet all costs from the pandemic, pharmacies have received only £300 as payment towards installation of protective screens.

“Other healthcare providers have received substantial extra funding, whereas pharmacies have been given ‘a loan’, upfront payments to ensure we remained open through the pandemic, but this has to be paid back at some point.”

There are 49 pharmacies in Calderdale, 35 of them being small independent pharmacies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Heath Pharmacy manager Amanda Smith, who has been working with Mr Wilkinson for 23 years, agrees that more funding is needed.

“It really is time the government stopped saying how important and vital we are, but not being willing to fund pharmacies properly,” she said.

“It’s time government recognise fully the value of local pharmacies and fund the services provided by well trained and dedicated staff.

“Demands for more services are being made without sufficient funding to provide them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Community Pharmacy has demonstrated over and over again that we provide value to the NHS. We know patients support us, MP’s support us, now it’s time for the treasury and the NHS to give us the funding we deserve.”