Welcome back to the APPG on Pharmacy weekly Parliamentary update. Set out below is a summary of key parliamentary and policy developments in community pharmacy from the week just gone. The House of Commons is now in recess until 6th January 2025.
Key Parliamentary Activity
Oral Contributions
Winter Preparedness – 18th December 2024 – Full transcript available here.
Lalya Moran (Lib Dem) spoke on the role of pharmacies in providing community health services and the need for greater push for GP referrals.
Lincoln Jopp (Conservative) referenced the cost of winter vaccinations
Mike Martin (Lib Dem) addressed the role that pharmacies play in providing community-based health services
Community Pharmacies: Devon and the South-west – 17th December 2024 - Full transcript available here.
Numerous contributions, including from Chair of the APPG on Pharmacy, Steve Race MP, regarding the merits of pharmacy in supporting patients with a range of services and Vice-chair, Sadik Al-Hassan MP, on the critical role of community pharmacies, the challenges they face due to funding cuts and Brexit, and calls for immediate funding and reforms to stabilse and modernise the sector.
Written Questions:
There were 7 written questions relating to Pharmacy answered in the House of Commons and House of Lords this week. These can be viewed on Hansard here:
Joe Robertson (Conservative) on pharmacy funding
Maureen Burke (Labour) and Anna Dixon (Labour) on access to medicines
Kate Osborne (Labour) on merits of community-based healthcare initiatives
Jim Shannon (DUP) on pharmacy access