Rishi Sunak – who visited The Village Pharmacy in Catterick last week (September 16) as part of an initiative to promote the national flu service – used to help dispense medication in his mother’s branch, Village Pharmacy owner Paul Gale told C+D after the visit.

“I did invite [Mr Sunak] into the dispensary to see if he wanted to give us a hand, but he was too busy,” Mr Gale said.

Mr Sunak praised the “easy and very quick” service he received at the pharmacy and urged his constituents who are eligible for a free flu jab to ensure they have one, according to Mr Gale.

The Conservative MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire spent “between half an hour and 45 minutes” in the pharmacy during his visit, and seemed “very interested” in the future of the sector, Mr Gale said.

“He was also very interested to listen to what other services pharmacies were able to deliver,” he added.

Five more MPs in the region will go to their local pharmacy for a flu vaccination over the next two months, according to Community Pharmacy North Yorkshire, which has organised the itinerary of visits.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell was the first of North Yorkshire’s eight MPs to receive her flu vaccination on September 2. Andrew Jones paid his local Lloydspharmacy a visit on September 16, while MPs Julian Sturdy, Kevin Hollinrake, Nigel Adams, Julian Smith and Robert Goodwill are lined up for the coming months.

Watch superintendent Antonio Monachello explain how his Kent pharmacy carried out over 1,500 flu jabs last year.