Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care of £300 million in funding to ensure community pharmacies can continue to carry out essential services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Community pharmacies are receiving a £300 million cash boost to ensure they can continue to carry out essential services during the coronavirus outbreak.
The advanced funding injection will support pharmacies to provide critical services to protect community health, including supplying medicines and providing medical advice to patients, during a period of unprecedented demand.
£200 million was paid on 1 April to pharmacy contractors, alongside their normal monthly payments from the NHS Business Services Authority, and a further £100 million will be allocated on 1 May 2020.
In addition to this funding, the Department of Health and Social Care has already reduced the number of services that community pharmacy are required to deliver to allow them to prioritise the most important tasks, but they will continue to receive their full NHS funding. During this period, pharmacies will not be required to pilot new services or carry out non-critical administrative tasks, such as updating practice leaflets.
Commenting, Steve said:
“As the Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Secretary of State for Health and former Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Pharmacies, I have seen for myself over and over again just how vital the services that community pharmacies provide are.”
“This funding will be hugely welcomed and I am delighted to see it rolled out already. I know that local pharmacy teams on the ground in Mid-Cornwall will be able to benefit from the funding to refine and improve the vital service they offer for local residents.”
“I thank them for everything they are doing for their local and wider communities at this difficult time.”