Health writer More than eight pharmacies are closing across England every week, according to a new report by Healthwatch England . Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Shields Gazette, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Through freedom of information (FoI) requests, they found that 436 pharmacies closed permanently in England in 2023, with 13,863 temporary closures due to lack of available staff accounting for the equivalent of 142 lost working days.
Those living in areas that were rural or had older populations were more likely to be impacted by pharmacy closures and had fewer GPs per head. Commenting on the findings, Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England (CPE), said it shows “just how desperate the situation for pharmacies has now become”. Advertisement Advertisement Morrison continued: “Ongoing financial, operational and workforce pressures are combining to leave pharmacies at crisis point, putting medicines supply and other patient services at serious risk.
” So, why are pharmacies closing in England and what to do if you find out your local pharmacy is closing. The report from Healthwatch England has found that in 2023, 436 pharmacies in England shut their doors. This means that more than one pharmacy on average permanently closed everyday, or just over eight pharmacies closed every week.
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