Somerset’s MPs have united in urging the government to increase funding for pharmacies in rural communities. As part of its 10-year NHS plan, the Labour government encourages patients to seek treatment for minor conditions at pharmacies, aiming to ease the strain on GPs, urgent care centres, and hospital A&E departments.
While the Department of Health and Social Care has allocated additional funds to support this shift, three Liberal Democrat MPs from Somerset warn that current funding falls short of what rural pharmacies require to remain operational. They cite challenges such as excessive bureaucracy, staffing shortages, and limited local transportation.
Rachel Gilmour MP (Tiverton and Minehead) highlighted these issues during a Westminster Hall debate on June 2. She described community pharmacies as operating within “an incredibly fragile system,” noting that over 1,000 pharmacies have closed since 2016 and the remainder face growing responsibilities without real increases in funding. Gilmour explained that community pharmacies have experienced a 30% real-terms cut in government funding, with NHS income comprising 90-95% of their revenue—a situation she called “unsustainable” and “slow strangulation.” According to recent government analysis, there is an annual funding gap of £2 billion.
The government recently announced a 10.3% increase in the community pharmacy budget this year, raising it to over £3.6 billion, aiming to improve patient access to NHS services without the need to visit GPs or urgent care centres. Gilmour welcomed this step as positive but maintained that it remains insufficient to sustain rural pharmacies.
Adam Dance MP (Yeovil) stressed the need for support beyond funding, particularly to recruit additional pharmacy staff. He pointed to pharmacies like South Petherton’s, which serve a wide rural population but struggle under growing demands with limited help. Dance urged the government to enhance the NHS workforce plan to expand the pharmacy workforce appropriately.
Gilmour added that rural areas face distinct challenges: with 16 pharmacies serving roughly 91,200 people in her constituency, geographic distances, scarce public transport, and dispersed populations mean that a single pharmacy closure can create a healthcare crisis for thousands. For example, the closure of Bishop’s Lydeard pharmacy in March 2024 resulted in replacing it only with a dispensary limited to patients of a local surgery.
She also criticized the disparity in business rates, pointing out that community pharmacies pay full business rates while GP surgeries and dental practices do not, an unfair financial burden on these frontline NHS providers.
Gideon Amos MP (Taunton and Wellington) underscored the impact of pharmacy closures on local access, referencing Wellington, where four pharmacies have dwindled to two. He described how closures led to long queues, medication shortages, and anxious patients, ultimately requiring community intervention to restore adequate pharmacy services. Amos emphasized the need for new housing developments to integrate essential services like pharmacies from the outset, rather than reducing them post-construction.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock responded by affirming the government’s commitment to supporting community pharmacies. He noted ongoing efforts to reverse years of funding cuts and highlighted the two-year freeze on prescription charges. Kinnock acknowledged that rural areas face greater access challenges but argued the 10% funding uplift—nearly triple the overall NHS budget growth—demonstrates serious investment in shifting care from hospitals to communities. He promised pharmacies will remain central to building an NHS that is resilient, accessible, and future-ready.