Weekend Pharmacy Cuts Force Patients on Long Journeys for Medicines
Patients across England are facing significant challenges in accessing essential medications on weekends, as new data reveals a sharp decline in pharmacy opening hours. According to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), one in six pharmacies have reduced their weekend hours since 2022, with some closing entirely due to unsustainable financial pressures.
This reduction has resulted in a loss of more than 20% of weekend availability nationwide, forcing individuals to undertake long trips to find open pharmacies. In some cases, patients have resorted to visiting accident and emergency (A&E) departments or urgent treatment centers for services like obtaining the morning-after pill, emergency prescriptions, or advice on minor ailments.
Impact on Rural and Urban Areas
The cuts are particularly severe in rural regions such as Devon, Cornwall, and the Lake District, where limited public transport exacerbates the issue. For example, in St Ives, Cornwall, only one pharmacy remains open, and it does not operate on weekends, requiring residents to travel to Hayle or Penzance for assistance.
Similarly, in Windermere, Cumbria, the nearest pharmacy open on Sundays is a 10-mile drive away, taking 25 minutes by car or 45 minutes via public transport. Urban areas like Manchester and Leeds have also seen reductions in weekend opening, highlighting a widespread trend.
Patient Struggles and Advocacy Responses
Patient groups report that disabled individuals, shift workers, and those without cars or reliable public transport are disproportionately affected, struggling to access necessary drugs on weekends. Olivier Picard, chief executive of the NPA, stated, "This is yet more evidence that the pharmacy network in England is creaking at the seams after facing deep cuts over a number of years. Sadly, the real losers are the millions of patients these pharmacies serve."
Rebecca Curtayne, head of public affairs at Healthwatch England, added, "People rely on their local pharmacy for timely advice and essential medication, so cuts to weekend opening hours are very worrying. We are already hearing from people about longer journeys to find an open pharmacy."
Funding Cuts and Broader Implications
The NPA attributes the hour reductions to government underfunding, noting that NHS funding for pharmacies has fallen by 40% in real terms since 2016. This has led to the closure of about 1,550 pharmacies since 2017, further limiting access. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, warned that these cuts risk undermining the government's goal of expanding community-based care, stating, "When the door to local pharmacy closes, the door to healthcare often closes with it."
In response, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson highlighted recent funding increases, saying, "Community pharmacies are a vital front door to the NHS, which is why this government has provided them with the largest funding uplift of any part of the NHS over the last two years." The department is currently consulting on future funding arrangements to support pharmacists in offering more care closer to home.
