More than one pharmacy closed permanently every day in 2023, revealed new data published today.
Between January 1 and December 31, 2023, a total of 436 pharmacies closed, according to Healthwatch England, reportedly impacting people’s access to care and undermining confidence in the expansion of pharmacy services.
This research comes at a critical time as pharmacies aim to broaden their services through the Pharmacy First initiative, which allows community pharmacies to offer consultations for seven common conditions.
In addition to permanent closures, the research—conducted via Freedom of Information requests—revealed significant issues caused by temporary closures. Across the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England, there were 13,863 instances of temporary closures, amounting to 46,823 hours or 5,852 standard pharmacy working days lost. The primary reason reported for these temporary closures was a lack of available staff.
The research painted a varied picture across England. Higher rates of both permanent and temporary closures were recorded in rural areas, regions with older populations, and areas with fewer GPs per capita.
- North East and North Cumbria ICB recorded the highest number of temporary closures and hours lost, with 1,438 closures and 4,054 hours lost.
- Norfolk and Waveney ICB reported the highest number of hours lost per pharmacy at 17.48 hours.
- London ICBs performed better, with South East London reporting the fewest temporary closures and North West London recording the lowest number of lost hours.
Healthwatch England is calling for better notification systems for patients regarding pharmacy closures and a national evaluation to address the issues facing pharmacies, including workforce shortages, funding, data management, and estate planning.
To learn more about the situation in your area, see the map below. Created by Polimapper.
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