Closure of pharmacies ‘will put pressure on poor communities’

A new report has raised concerns about the potential impact the closure of community pharmacies could have on healthcare provision, particularly in poorer areas.

Research by YouGov published by Pharmacy Voice has indicated that 29 percent of people who would normally seek advice on common ailments from their local pharmacy first would instead make an appointment with their GP practice.

This rises to as many as four in five people in areas of high deprivation such as Fleetwood in Lancashire, suggesting that pharmacy closures could serve to put even more pressure on the country's already-stretched GP services.

The government has previously conceded that its new plans for NHS funding could lead to up to one in four local pharmacies closing, justifying the decision on the basis that some parts of the country have more pharmacies than are needed.

Dr Mark Spencer, co-chair of the NHS Alliance, said: "At a time when there is an entirely unacceptable widening gap in life expectancy between rich and poor … it would be catastrophic if the areas that most need it, are deprived of access to this crucial community asset."