COMMUNITY PHARMACIES

That this House is concerned about the planned £170 million cut to the Community Pharmacy Budget in England scheduled for October 2016, which could lead to the forced closure of up to 3,000 pharmacies and place the remaining pharmacies, GPs and A&E departments under ever greater pressure; believes the Government is wrong in trying to secure savings in this way which will not save money and lead to a degrading of our community pharmacy network; and calls on the Government to hold a national public inquiry to examine the impact of any paid funding cuts on patient safety, care and our NHS structure, whether vertically integrated medicine sales are in the public interest and whether breaking up of over regulating current arrangements would release the necessary funds, reduce the NHS savings required or improve patient/consumers services.