Interest in pharmacy's Call to Action consultation has exceeded NHS England's expectations, with a "massive" online response, C+D has learned.

Events organised by LPCs were "critical" to help pharmacists voice their opinions about the future of sector and had already "galvanised" them to submit their responses through the online questionnaire, NHS England's deputy chief pharmaceutical officer Clare Howard told C+D at a Call to Action event last Thursday (February 6).

Alison Hemsworth, senior programme manager of NHS England's community pharmacy contractual framework, said she had been surprised by pharmacists' online response to the consultation.

Events organised by LPCs had "galvanised" pharmacists to submit their responses, said NHS England's deputy chief pharmaceutical officer Clare Howard	More on the Call to Action Pharmacists unprepared for Call to Action, LPCs warn Engage in ‘Call to Action' to feed into contract, says NHS chief NHS England calls on pharmacists to share thoughts on future of health system
	"I've been analysing the Twitter [debate] and it's massive. We thought we could sit down and [analyse] it in half an hour, but actually it might take a week," she told C+D at the event organised by NHS England's Kent and Medway area team.

PSNC head of LPC support Mike King said LPCs had been "working hard" to encourage pharmacists to respond to the Call to Action. The negotiating body was "quite confident" NHS England would receive "plenty of responses", he told C+D.

Pharmacy London chair Mike Keen said the Call to Action events were attracting a "good mix of local contractors and external stakeholders".

"What we need now is for people to sit down and put pen to paper, because if we don't participate then we're not going to see any action," he told C+D.

Pharmacists have until March 18 to submit their response to the consultation by taking part in an NHS England questionnaire. Last month, LPCs voiced concern that pharmacists were not ready to provide detailed responses to the consultation.