A C+D investigation has found a total of 25 PCTs have either cut or considered cutting pharmacy services in just six months. Services including minor ailments, EHC and advice to care homes were all decommissioned between September 2010 and March 2011, C+D's freedom of information investigation revealed. Minor ailments schemes suffered the most cutbacks, as six PCTs discontinued the service and one is currently reviewing it. Three PCTs decommissioned sexual health services and one is currently reviewing its EHC service. Low uptake was a key factor, with more than a quarter of PCTs blaming lack of engagement for the cuts. But a fifth also cited financial reasons for decommissioning. There may be no "safe services" in the current financial climate, warned Alastair Buxton, head of NHS services at PSNC. "The reality of the situation is that it comes down to a cost-benefit analysis," he told C+D. "Many of the services are preventative, so you can see how commissioners who are struggling for funding may think they can't afford to fund schemes that will pay back over a long period." Pharmacies should focus on the quality rather than the quantity of services, stressed North East London LPC secretary Hemant Patel. "People need to look at what they're providing and how they're going to improve performance in terms of quality and uptake," he told C+D. "The government is looking at results and if you don't review your performance, there will be financial consequences."

Find out more about what services are under pressure, where and why, with C+D's decomissioning investigation and interactive map