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Over 80 per cent of pharmacy owners are concerned about their pharmacy business going into this winter season, with a further 2.6 per cent saying they are ‘very concerned’, according to Community Pharmacy England’s most recent November poll of the sector.

Of the 3,533 pharmacy premises that responded to the poll, reasons for concern were given as:

• Staff capacity is extremely fragile
• Financial pressures are preventing staffing and service expansion
• Demand is increasing while system support is weak.

Community pharmacies are still operating under huge financial and operational pressures because of rising costs and demand, combined with a funding deficit that is estimated to be more than £2 billion annually, says CPE.

“Many are hanging on by a thread, losing money and struggling to cope with the ongoing demand from patients and the public. Pharmacy owners are also ending the year with no certainty about future funding beyond March 2026, and the knowledge that the most recent Budget will add yet more costs for them.”

CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said: “The need for sustainability of the network remains urgent, with untold risk to the safety of medicines supply and the healthcare support that pharmacies provide and the communities that rely upon them if the current pressures persist.

“We have very clear evidence of the value of pharmacy, the case for investment in pharmacy, and the depth of the crisis the sector still finds itself in. As we look ahead to funding negotiations which we hope will start early next year, our message to Government and the NHS is very clear: community pharmacies have once again done everything that has been asked of them, but they need more help, and urgently.”