The Department of Health and Social Care (DH) made the comments yesterday (July 19), in response to C+D’s exclusive investigation – which revealed for the first time the locations of all the pharmacies that have closed in the wake of the funding cuts in England.

C+D’s analysis of government data identified that 140 community pharmacies closed across England between November 2016 – the month before the 12% funding cut came into force – and May 2018.

C+D’s investigation also found that over a quarter – 28% – of the pharmacies that have closed since the cuts hit were in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. 

Still “good access to pharmaceutical services”

A DH spokesperson told C+D that it – in partnership with NHS England – monitors pharmacy openings and closures to “measure any impact on service provision”.

The DH said that with the exceptions of three pharmacies, those that have closed are all located within a mile of another pharmacy.

“The vast majority of closures have been in areas that are closely served by more than one pharmacy and there remains good access to pharmaceutical services,” it added.

In April 2016, the DH acknowledged in an unpublished impact assessment that pharmacy closures would have a “disproportionate effect on deprived communities”.

Read the full story on the locations of the 140 pharmacies that have closed since the cuts hit here. 

A separate C+D analysis has revealed that a quarter of the closed pharmacies are in the most deprived areas of the country. Read the full story here.