Liberal Democrat councillors highlight concerns over pharmacy closures

The future of local chemists is uncertain after the government announced plans to cut more money from vital community services, reducing funds to pharmacies by 6%.

In an attempt to put pressure on the government and fight back against this change, Lib Dem City Councillors secured unanimous council backing calling on our local MPs to put pressure on the government to shelve these plans and protect this essential and highly valued service.

While government officials say it is not yet clear how many pharmacies will close, figures from the All Party Pharmacy Group estimate that as many as one in four of our pharmacies may be forced to shut as they are unable to cope with the lack of funding.

Cllr Caroline Ackroyd, who brought the motion to the recent meeting of the City Council said, "It is clear that areas with smaller, independent pharmacies are more likely to see closures, and this could put even more strain on our local health services."

Chris Ball, pharmacist at Hurn Chemist on Unthank Road added, "It seems amazing that the government is expecting pharmacies to take on more health care roles to support GPs whilst at the same time threatening to reduce our funding."

Concerned residents can sign the official petition calling for a debate in Parliament online at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/116943, or in person at many pharmacies across the city.