Revealing her spending review today (June 11), Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out a boost to NHS funding.
The government will invest “an extra £29bn per year for the day-to-day running of our health service”, she said.
This represents a “real-terms” 3% yearly increase in spending for the health service for each year of the spending review, which sets out departmental budgets until 2028/29, she added.
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The Treasury today described the announcement as “record investment to rebuild” the NHS.
Reeves also announced that the investment includes an “up to” £10bn cash injection towards “technology and digital transformation” in the NHS.
“I am increasing the NHS technology budget by almost 50% and we’re investing £10bn to bring our analogue health system into the digital age - including through the NHS App, so patients can manage their prescriptions, get their test results and book appointments all in one place,” she said.
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The Chancellor praised the efforts of “our nurses, our doctors, our paramedics and other healthcare professionals”.
However, there was no mention of pharmacists or pharmacy in today’s announcement.
Pharmacy investment “imperative”
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) chief executive Janet Morrison urged the government to take “demonstrable action” on a “clear path to the sustainable funding and operational model” for community pharmacy now that the spending review has concluded.
“Years of underfunding and real-terms cuts have left community pharmacies struggling to cope, and even survive: we need the eventual outcomes of this spending review to put this right,” she said.
Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) chief executive Malcolm Harrison welcomed the NHS funding increase but added that it is “imperative that investment follows for community pharmacy”.
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“Real-terms spending increases for the NHS are good news,” new National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Henry Gregg said.
But he stressed that “we shouldn’t underestimate the challenge of keeping pharmacies supporting millions of patients every day while they are still facing acute financial pressures despite additional funding this year”.
Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck said that while the commitment to rebuild the NHS is “good to see”, it is a “shame...that the Chancellor did not directly mention the contribution pharmacies can make to our health service”.
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“This is a missed opportunity to put pharmacies first and save billions for the NHS in the long term,” she added.
And Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president Professor Claire Anderson said that “all eyes will now be turning to the forthcoming 10-year health plan and there are key questions for how pharmacists and all health professions will be enabled to help deliver the NHS of the future”.
“We have seen some welcome progress with Pharmacy First and, with the right support and investment, an enhanced community pharmacist prescribing service will help deliver the government’s ambition to deliver more care in the community,” she added.
The hotly anticipated 10-year health plan is due to be published in “spring 2025”.
