Shropshire Star

£300m boost will help pharmacies fight coronavirus, says Telford MP

A £300 million boost to help pharmacies tackle the coronavirus crisis has been welcomed by a Shropshire MP.

Published
Luvy Allan with Health Secretary Matt Hancock

Telford MP Lucy Allan said the extra money for would help community pharmacies carry out essential services during the outbreak.

She said the funding would help them to provide critical services to protect community health, including supplying medicines and providing medical advice to patients during a period of unprecedented demand.

The first £200 million was paid on April 1 to pharmacy contractors, alongside the normal monthly payments from the NHS Business Services Authority. A further £100 million will be allocated on May 1.

The Department of Health and Social Care has also reduced the number of services that pharmacies are required to deliver to allow them to prioritise the most important tasks.

During this period, pharmacies will not be required to pilot new services or carry out non-critical administrative tasks.

Ms Allan said: “Coronavirus has placed an enormous pressure on our community pharmacies, which is why I am really pleased the Government is giving them a £300 million cash boost to help support the vital role they play as we deal with this disease.

"For people who are shielding or self-isolating, pharmacies can deliver prescriptions to their door, so that everyone can get the medicine they need without breaching social distancing guidelines.”

Health minister Jo Churchill said: “Every day, community pharmacies carry out critical work to protect the health of the public and support the wider NHS. This is even more important now as we face this unprecedented time."