Recently, I visited Kamsons Pharmacy at the Vale Primary Care Centre in Haywards Heath, where I met Julia from Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex, and Mark and the team from Kamsons.
Local pharmacies are trusted local health access points. Kamsons offer free home deliveries for prescriptions, as well as packing multiple prescriptions into pill organisers. These services are a lifeline for vulnerable or elderly people who wish to continue living at home but need support in sourcing and managing medication. The team at Kamsons are enthusiastic, bright, and keen to help local people.
However, they expressed their disappointment at current levels of support for local pharmacies, emphasising how local branches feel their diligent service during the pandemic has been forgotten. Many community pharmacies are struggling to balance the books with funding being cut by over 30% since 2015.
A new NHS funding settlement was agreed in April 2025, promising an overall funding increase of 7.5% in 2024/25 and a further 22.7% in 2025/26. This is a step in the right direction - and is the first major uplift in 10 years. Additionally, continued support has been committed for services like Pharmacy First, blood pressure checks, and contraception.
However, a recent analysis by Frontier Economics highlighted a funding gap shortfall of over £2 billion for community pharmacies, with this gap expected to continue following this announcement.
Medication shortages are further complicating the situation, with pharmacists saying that they can spend over four hours a day sourcing stock. The government’s lack of progress in reforming regulation to allow pharmacists to substitute medications effectively, as well as low medicine prices in the UK, means that these issues do not have a quick fix.
Community pharmacies are often the first-place people turn to for healthcare advice and support. When they are properly funded and running well, they can take pressure off busy GP surgeries and hospitals. Already, the work of community pharmacies has reportedly saved 1,937 GP appointments locally through their Pharmacy First programme. By encouraging and supporting the work of these local branches, we can keep people safer and healthier in their homes for longer.