Ms Cooper, who used to own and run a community pharmacy with her pharmacist husband, told C+D she thinks the funding cuts are “short-sighted in the extreme”.

Instead, she argues that the government should be sitting down with pharmacy representatives and taking up the sector’s offer to expand its role.

Listen to the podcast below to hear Ms Cooper discuss the "massive response" from MPs to news of the cuts, why she is "absolutely sure" the funding drop will not cause Boots or Lloydspharmacy branches to close, and why no pharmacies in her constituency are eligible for the Pharmacy Access Scheme.