County MP challenges Chancellor on funding for pharmacies outlining 'struggling' Shropshire businesses
A county MP has challenged the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves over when pharmacies in her constituency will have their NHS contracts confirmed for the current and new financial year.
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North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan made her comments during the spring statement on Wednesday (March 27) and asked the Chancellor if the Government’s Pharmacy First Scheme would continue beyond the end of next week.
The Pharmacy First scheme gives patients the option to get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy. It was launched by the Government and NHS England on January 31 to give patients quick and accessible care and ease pressure on GP services.
Mrs Morgan said pharmacies in the region are "concerned" that they will not be able to survive after several tax hikes were announced in the budget last August.
Earlier this month, the North Shropshire MP sent a letter signed by more than 50 MPs to Health Secretary, Wes Streeting MP outlining her fear that residents in rural towns and villages could be left without a pharmacy due to mounting financial pressures.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mrs Morgan told the Chancellor that pharmacies such as Green End pharmacy in Whitchurch are "struggling with the impending hike in employer national insurance and business rates", and asked the Government when pharmacies will found out how much they will be paid for services.
In response, Rachel Reeves said funding by the Government has helped to 'rebuild' the NHS and reduced waiting times.
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: "The Chancellor’s tax hikes are a hammer blow to pharmacies, many of which are already struggling to keep their doors open.
"On top of this, Ministers are still refusing to say how much they will be paid for their services, even though the funding for schemes like Pharmacy First officially ends next week.
"No one can run a business or service not knowing how much they will be paid. If we want to fix the crisis in the NHS, people must be able to make use of the care that already exists on their high streets.
"Labour needs to get a grip of this chaos and back our pharmacies."
