NPA drives campaign van to Parliament urging COVID costs to be covered

C+D joined the NPA as it drove a van from Boris Johnson’s London constituency to Westminster campaigning for the government to cover pharmacy’s COVID-related costs.

exclusive
Andrew%20Lane%20CROP.jpg
NPA chair Andrew Lane standing in front of the campaign van in the Prime Minister's constituency

Adorned with images of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and slogans including “#BorisKeepYourPromise” – inspired by Mr Johnson’s pledge in February that community pharmacies would be reimbursed “as soon as possible” for COVID-related costs – the van is the latest stage of the National Pharmacy Association’s (NPA) campaign to get the government to write off the sector’s £370 million advance payment.

C+D followed the van on its journey from the Conservative Club in Uxbridge to the Houses of Parliament yesterday (May 18), and spoke to some of the people involved in the campaign:

For subtitles, select CC on the YouTube tool bar

“Drop in the ocean” for the government

In an exclusive interview with C+D, NPA chair Andrew Lane said the advance payment was “a drop in the ocean” compared to other government bailouts given during the pandemic. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) estimates the sector’s COVID costs bill now exceeds £450m.

On April 28, PSNC announced the 2021/22 contract negotiations had begun, but stressed that it was “unlikely” to make any final decision “until we have clarity on COVID costs”.

Asked about this statement, Mr Lane responded: “We would like the COVID costs paid for before any discussions on funding go forward.”

Previously, the NPA had enlisted the help of pharmacies in key constituencies – including those of the chancellor Rishi Sunak, pharmacy minister Jo Churchill and health secretary Matt Hancock – for a targeted ad campaign.

Yesterday, Mr Lane claimed that the NPA had received feedback from several of those ministers, and said “we believe they were upset”.

Patient: “No way” government will let pharmacies close

C+D also spoke to Vivek Aggarwal, the manager of Puri Pharmacy in Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, who stressed the importance of the campaign, not just for his pharmacy – which he said “will not be viable any longer” if further funding pressures come to pass – but for the NHS as a whole.

Pharmacies have been “central in providing continuity of care” during the pandemic, he said, and if they were to close due to funding issues then “the NHS is really, really going to suffer”.

One of his regular patients, Yvonne Powers, told C+D she had written to Mr Johnson after hearing about the NPA’s campaign. She was reportedly told that she was “misinformed”, and that there was “no way” the government was going to let chemists close.

Read Andrew Lane’s exclusive column on pharmacy's COVID costs here.

Sign in or register for free

Latest from News

Revealed: 2024/25 contract cash uplift already paid

 
• By 
 • comment3

Following this week’s announcement of the long-awaited pharmacy funding deal, C+D has learned that contractors have already received the additional £106 million in retrospective funding for 2024/25.

Antidepressants added to NMS from October

 
• By 
 • comment0

The government has announced an expansion to and fresh payment structure for the new medicine service (NMS) to “boost mental health support in the community”.

‘Smaller than usual’ PQS reinstated under new funding deal

 
• By 
 • comment0

The government has announced that the pharmacy quality scheme (PQS) will be “reinstated” in 2025/26 as part of the new funding deal but is “smaller than usual”.

More from Politics

New evidence Brexit caused UK medicines shortages

 
• By 
 • comment

A health and social care think tank has revealed that the “elevated and troubling level” of medicine shortages in the UK can be blamed on Brexit.

Risk pharmacies ‘deprioritised’ if GP role grows, report warns

 
• By 
 • comment

A Westminster think tank has said that the government’s proposed Neighbourhood Health Service, which plans to scale up general practice, could put community pharmacies at risk of being “deprioritised”.