Photo credit: Sergeant Tom Robinson RLC/MOD, OGL

The national pharmacy bodies have launched a petition to the Prime Minister.

PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said: “It is vital that everyone in community pharmacy gets behind the campaign to show the value and importance of our services. The national pharmacy organisations are working closely together to align our responses to the plans, and we would encourage all contractors and their teams to support both the paper and the e-petition.”

The new petition, which can be downloaded from www.supportyourlocalpharmacy.org, reads: "We, the undersigned, believe that local pharmacies are a vital frontline health service and part of the fabric of communities across England. Under new government proposals, many pharmacies could be forced to close – depriving people of accessible medicines advice and other valuable support from trusted professionals. It would also put more pressure on GPs and hospital services. In the interests of patient care, we urge the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary to abandon plans that put pharmacy services at risk."

Chief executive of Pharmacy Voice, Rob Darracott, said: “With the radical cuts proposed to community pharmacy funding by the government, the public will be rightly concerned about the future availability of the services upon which they have come to depend. The petition provides the perfect opportunity to give a voice to these concerns and push back against these harmful and dangerous cuts.”

NPA chairman Ian Strachan, said: “This new petition will further intensify efforts to counter the government’s jumbled and misguided proposals. There is already a parliamentary e-petition in circulation and I encourage people to support it. The petition we are announcing today is different for a number of ‎important reasons. Firstly, it is not targeted at parliament – instead, it will appeal directly to the heart of Government: No 10 Downing Street. Secondly, it is a paper based petition rather than an electronic petition; we know that for many people, including elderly patients, this is the preferred way to express their support.”

Meanwhile, 100,000 campaign postcards (pictured) are in circulation, which are an easy way for patients to appeal to their local MP for support.