Pharmacies Closing

[naomi24]

The rise in the minimum wage and the additional cost of employers National Insurance contributions means closure for many pharmacies.  The chairman of Numark Pharmacies which has 5500 outlets says that since 90 percent of business is NHS based, prices can't be increased and therefore the extra costs can't be recovered. 

 

Another snag this  hapless, hopeless government missed.

[Untitled]

pharmacies were already closing at rapid rates before the budget and even before the election

https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/response/2024-05-15/our-response-warning-pharmacy-closures-are-record-high-levels

[naomi24]

Indeed - which is another reason the latest debarcle should have been better thought through.

[theshedman]

I think that was what naomi was getting at.  They were already closing and now this government has put more costs on them in taxes and National Insurance.  Labour could have done something in the budget to help them.

[Untitled]

but the budget is clearly not the root cause... at the very worst (if the claims in naomi's op are true) it is then it merely aggravates an existing problem. what's the root cause of pharmacy closures?

[rowanwitch]

Even the ones in supermarkets are closing in my area.  We have Superdrug  and a few independent mini chains but they are normally linked to a second business stream,  things like care and mobility aids,   so pick up your meds and get crutches to use to go to the benefit office. ( mobility scooters are big business in my area,  well it's too far to walk to McDonald's). So long as the money comes in Labour will get the votes of the non working  benefit classes. Add in the idealists who probably shop on line anyway their ill thought out plans won't affect their voters too badly.   Need a pharmacy, or florist, or any other small business in your way too or from work... No chance.

[barry1010]

We get great service from our pharmacy, prescriptions always delivered promptly.  That's one reason we let him come to the house every so often to do prescription reviews, he gets paid by the NHS to carry them out and it's worth his while with 4 of us. 

[theshedman]

Yes Untitled the problem was there but Labour had the chance to do something about it but seems it has only made it worse for them.

[barry1010]

Are there still benefit offices, Rowan?  The one in our town closed at least 10 years ago

[rowanwitch]

For disability benefits although they call them assessment centres now.

[davebro3]

As pharmacies close people will increasingly turn to on-line/mail order firms for their prescriptions.

Doesn't bode well for NHS plans for pharmacists to take some of the load off GPs for minor ailments.

[Bazile]

//Doesn't bode well for NHS plans for pharmacists to take some of the load off GPs for minor ailments.//

I wonder how many people go/would go to their pharmacists for 'minor' ailments ,anyway .

 

[naomi24]

I do, bazile.  Always have.

[Smowball]

We live in a smallish but v busy town. We had a Boots, another small pharmacy, and a huge pharmacy. They shut the first two this year which just leaves  the huge one, which as you can imagine gets chaotic now. And it now shuts at noon on Saturdays instead of being open all day, so if you need a pharmacy for absolutely anything after mid-day you have to travel out of town.

[Canary42]

The Tory bitterness at the humiliating defeat continues to rage - LOL

[rowanwitch]

No Canary,  just the grim acceptance of expectation fulfilled

[gramps85]

Canary  This has nothing to do with resentment of Tories voters to the defeat, there are plenty of other posts when this can discussed.  As untitled pointed out, pharmacies were clsoing before the budget, and this Chancellor having the opportunity to put right any wrong that previous governments have caused the Pharmacies, but instead she has chosen to aggravate the situation, causing them potentially close at a faster rate.

[davebro3]

//I wonder how many people go/would go to their pharmacists for 'minor' ailments ,anyway .//

Well there are posters & videos in GPs surgeries & pharmacies promoting just that - with a list of the conditions that pharmacists are able/willing/authorised to treat.

[nicebloke1]

Scrapping the barrel yet again for any possible blame to put onto labour.

Pharmacies were closing down WELL before the GE, and it has nothing at all to do with labour costs, its all about profit margins the same as any other business. 

You will be telling us all next that the off load of supermarket staff is labours fault, nothing to do with self service checkouts. <:0)

[Khandro]

I'm getting more & more stuff online, are other people ?

[Bazile]

^^^ indeed there may be - but how many people will still want a consultation with a GP