PSNC says it is “extremely disappointed” at today’s decision (October 20) by the Government to impose a two-year funding deal on community pharmacy contractors in England. The negotiating body is shortly to publish indicative income tables to help contractors predict the impact on their businesses.

As revealed last week, a total of £113 million will be slashed from the global sum in 2016/17, taking the total funding to £2.687 billion for this financial year. This is a reduction of 4 per cent compared with last year, but it will mean that contractors will see their funding for December 2016 to March 2017 fall by an average of 12 per cent compared with current levels.

This will be followed by a reduction in 2017/18 to £2.592 billion for the financial year, which will see funding levels from April 2017 drop by around 7.5 per cent compared with current levels.

In a statement, PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said the news is extremely disappointing but does not come as a surprise. “It became apparent some time ago that the Government was unshaken in its determination to make a massive cut to community pharmacy funding by reducing fees and allowances... and that there was to be no genuine consultation on the total funding sum.”

PSNC could not accept a funding offer which was damaging to the sector and which will adversely affect the ability of pharmacies to provide patient care, she said.

“This is a short-sighted and ill-judged approach to take, particularly when alternative constructive proposals that would address the need for the NHS to make cash savings have been put forward by PSNC. It is a sad reflection on the NHS on which we all rely to see it taking such a rash decision with so little justification,” Ms Sharpe commented.

Sue Sharpe’s statement can be read in full here.

Further information for contractors can be found here.

A short-sighted and ill-judged approach: Sue Sharpe