The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has called on NHS England to carry out an impact assessment on patients if essential small pharmacies were to close. The nationally agreed funding for Essential Small Pharmacies is to end on 31 March, after which pharmacies would need to negotiate LPS contracts with the NHS England Area Team.

Ash Soni, RPS President, said: ‘I am particularly concerned that no impact assessment has been done to work out the effect of these closures on patient care within the local community… I am calling on NHS England to work with the PSNC and to pause the withdrawal of Essential Small Pharmacy funding to allow a full impact assessment.’