Last Thursday, I went along to the pharmacy across the road from my office, Hughes Pharmacy, which is on Belmore Street in Enniskillen. It was staging a day of action for the Save our Pharmacies campaign. The staff were working with the lights out, and many of the people who came in wondered whether there had been a power cut. It was, however, being done to paint a picture of how it could be lights out for many community pharmacies the length and breadth of Northern Ireland if funding streams are not resolved soon.

Local pharmacies are a valuable part of the NHS, playing a significant role in keeping the pressure off GPs and hospitals by providing a range of healthcare services such as urgent care, vaccinations, support with long-term conditions and treatment of common illnesses. The past few years, however, have been extremely challenging. Pharmacies are experiencing severe financial problems due to real-term government cuts to NHS pharmacy funding and rising costs. Right now, there is a funding gap of approximately £20 million for Community Pharmacy NI. New analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) found that the number of pharmacies closing this year is nearly 50% higher compared with those closing at the same stage in 2023. Between January and April, 177 pharmacies closed, 17 of which were in Northern Ireland. The Majority of independent community pharmacies, such as mine, are small to medium-sized family businesses and are therefore especially vulnerable to the financial challenges. With the shrinking network, closures disproportionately affect the most deprived communities.

Last week, Community Pharmacy NI went to Westminster to take its case to the Chancellor. We think of our community pharmacies and the great work that they do in communities. The Health Minister has said that he wants to deal with inequalities in our communities in Northern Ireland. I trust that we will all get behind our local community pharmacies and ask the Health Minister to act now before it is lights out for them.