An online petition calling on the government to scrap its planned 6% cut to pharmacy funding has gained more than 6,000 signatures.

The government will have to respond to the petition, created by Barnsley local pharmaceutical committee (LPC) chair Paul Mason on December 29, if it reaches 10,000 signatures.

The Department of Health (DH) announced plans last month to slash the pharmacy global sum in England by £170 million in October, and Mr Mason told C+D he hopes the petition will give the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) a mandate to "come out fighting" against the proposals.

More than 6,800 people had signed the document by 3pm today (January 4). "NHS services are under strain and pharmacy can only help if the network is secure and strong," Mr Mason said in the petition.

Mr Mason admitted he is "sceptical" that the petition will change the government's course of action, but said he is "quite pleased" with the support it received over the Christmas period.

"The aim is to engage grassroots [pharmacists] and support our national bodies," he told C+D on Twitter.

View this map to see the support the petition has received across England, Scotland, and Wales.

You can sign the petition here.