Dear Member,

Last week you would have received a ballot from The NPA asking whether you are prepared to consider withdrawing some services in protest at a decade of underfunding. We are encouraging all members to participate and vote, particularly in light of the negative impact recent budget.

Please see attached a pdf document for more information on this communication from The NPA.

Below is the wording of the Ballot that you would have received from The NPA:

Q1. Do you support the following motion?

We put the Department of Health and NHS England on notice that we cannot guarantee community pharmacy services will remain safe into the future if the current depressed funding, pharmacy closures and increasing workload continues, and we therefore demand immediate material improvements to the financial position and the implementation of a roadmap to sustainable funding

Q2. Are you prepared to limit your service offering in the interests of patient safety, if adequate funding is not forthcoming?

Q3. Are you willing to serve notice that you are prepared to take the following action(s) to preserve patient safety in the face of ongoing funding shortfalls:

3a. We will withdraw uncapped and unfunded provision of monitored dosage systems outside the provisions of the Equality Act (formerly the Disability Discrimination Act [DDA])

3b: We serve notice on the provision of locally commissioned services in the interests of patient safety.

3c: We will withdraw the provision of free deliveries of medication.

3d: We will not co-operate with requests for data and analytics above those required for patient safety and contractual minimums.

3e: We will serve notice on opening hours above the minimums set out in the NHS contract.

Regards,

PharmaPlus