The fact that this news was announced publicly just before Christmas, at a particularly busy time for pharmacies, means it is heartless as well as visionless

The government has announced a funding cut for community pharmacy in England of 6 per cent, to take effect from October 2016.

PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe described the news as a "profoundly damaging move" that would "deliver a destructive blow to the support community pharmacies can offer to patients and the public". The announcement was made in an open letter to PSNC and other key pharmacy bodies that spoke of the potential for greater use of  pharmacy in prevention of ill health, support for healthy living and minor ailments.

"Almost inevitably the impact of the cuts will force pharmacies to reduce staffing levels and direct more people to GP or urgent care," said Mrs Sharpe. "We remain staggered at the decision by the NHS to abandon negotiations on a national minor ailments service over the summer, a move entirely inconsistent with exploiting the potential identified in the letter."

The letter, signed by England's chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge and Will Cavendish, director general for innovation, growth and technology at the Department of Health, proposes a cut in annual funding from £2.8bn to £2.63bn. It says: "The government believes those efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them." Pharmacy contractors would be "incredulous" to hear this, and sceptical about the expertise within the government that underpinned that assertion, said Mrs Sharpe.

A "jumble" of proposed measures include centralised dispensing and online services. Reflecting the chief pharmaceutical officer's view that there are too many pharmacies, the letter says: “In some parts of the country there are more pharmacies than are necessary to maintain good access.” The threat to the pharmacy network was clear, but the letter was very short on detail on how the NHS would manage this “clustering”, said Mrs Sharpe.

The letter states that the DH will consult on the introduction of a scheme to provide additional funds to ensure that “those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive”. Mrs Sharpe said: "Following the shambles of the ESPLPS this promise will give little comfort to pharmacy contractors."

A complex picture

Chief executive of Pharmacy Voice Rob Darracott said the cut was certain to hurt the sector. “It is a complex picture and there are many items being discussed from hub and spoke dispensing, the role for clinical pharmacy, to pharmacy numbers. At this stage we do not have the detail of how these elements can affect the bottom line. What we do know is that the expertise and knowledge of how to achieve change is within the sector, rather than in Whitehall. Community pharmacy has already delivered 4 per cent efficiency savings to the NHS which is proof that we already play a highly efficient part in NHS service delivery.

Mr Darracott welcomed the fact that Pharmacy Voice, PSNC, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, General Pharmaceutical Council and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK would be able to engage with the consultation process as statutory consultees.

NPA chairman Ian Strachan highlighted the "fundamental contradiction" within the letter. "It calls for community pharmacy to step forward to meet spiralling health challenges, whilst announcing cuts that will severely hamper our ability to deliver."

The proposals rested upon a questionable evidence base, unbalanced opinion, and ignored the truly transformational opportunities in community pharmacy, said Mr Strachan. "Most worrying of all, they imply that pharmacy is just a distribution mechanism for product – rather than a valuable health and social care asset at the heart of communities."

Patients would be the biggest losers, if the combination of measures proposed came to pass. “The fact that this news was announced publicly just before Christmas, at a particularly busy time for pharmacies, means it is heartless as well as visionless. It shows a lack of concern for a profession that gives its all throughout the year. Many people working in the pharmacy sector will be worried during this festive period about what the future holds”.