Almost 14,000 instances of temporary pharmacy closures were recorded in 2023, with the most common cause given being a lack of available staff, Healthwatch England has found.

And temporary closures are particularly impacting patients over 60 and those living in more rural areas, according to Healthwatch England's analysis.

The new report also suggested that every day in 2023, more than one pharmacy closed for good.

In response to the report, the Department of Health and Social Care committed to reviewing community pharmacy funding, while NHS England (NHSE) said it knew there was more to be done to communicate closures with patients.

Nearly 6,000 days lost to temporary closures

According to integrated care boards (ICBs) that responded to Healthwatch England's Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, in 2023, there were 13,863 instances of temporary pharmacy closures reported.

Some 46,823 hours were lost to temporary closures across the country, which Healthwatch England said was equivalent to 5,852 standard pharmacy working days.

Temporary closures impacting rural and older populations

Analysis by Healthwatch England found that the average number of hours per pharmacy lost to temporary closures varied dramatically between ICBs, with Norfolk and Waveney ICB recording 17.48 hours of temporary closures in 2023, and North West London recording just 0.42.

And Healthwatch England found that hours of temporary closures per pharmacy disproportionately impacted people living in rural areas and those in areas where more of the population was aged over 60.

'These findings suggest that the group most likely to use pharmacy services, older people, may be least well served when it comes to accessing them,' the report said.

And it highlighted that the most common reason given to ICBs for a temporary closure was related to staffing, and in particular the ability to find a locum pharmacist.

'This may explain why more rural ICBs tend to have higher hours of closure per pharmacy, and the London ICBs perform so well. Finding locum pharmacists to fill shifts may be more challenging in less populated and well-connected areas,' the report suggested.

Recent analysis from The Pharmacist also found a high number of permanent pharmacy closures in deprived rural and/or coastal areas, which may risk exacerbating digital divides.

Patients must be better notified of pharmacy closures

Healthwatch England said its local networks had heard frustration from patients about not being informed about pharmacy closures in advance.

'Better signposting that pharmacies will be closed and setting out alternatives to patients would go some way to improving patient experience,' it said.

And it called for NHSE and ICBs to support pharmacy teams 'to give appropriate notice and advice to the public wherever possible'.

'This could be through the NHS App, NHS website, SMS platforms, and local GP and pharmacy websites – providing real time information on temporary closures,' Healthwatch England said.

National workforce planning needed

Healthwatch England also said that ICBs should analyse and publish standardised monthly data on the number of temporary closures 'to inform workforce planning, spot trends in postcode variations, and tackle persistent closures using agreed local hours plans'.

And it said NHSE should commission a formal evaluation of the challenges facing the pharmacy sector, including workforce, funding, data, and estates.

This should have a specific focus on workforce planning 'to ensure that both the size and distribution of the pharmacy workforce is optimally geared towards ensuring equal access to services and expanding pharmacy’s care offer', Healthwatch England said.

DHSC will review community pharmacy funding

Responding to the report, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said that it will launch a review of community pharmacy funding.

They said that the government had 'inherited a broken NHS where pharmacies have been neglected for years', adding that the sector was 'key to making healthcare fit for the future as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community.'

'We will make better use of their skills by increasing the number of pharmacists able to prescribe medication themselves and launch a review of community pharmacy funding,' the spokesperson said.

NHSE: 'We know there is more to be done to improve signposting in the event of a closure'

Meanwhile, an NHSE spokesperson told The Pharmacist that while eight in 10 people currently live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, it was 'crucial that patients can easily access these services'.

They noted that the NHS Long Term Workforce plan 'sets a clear ambition to address these pharmacy shortages by increasing training places for pharmacists by nearly 50% to around 5,000 places by 2031/32'.

And they acknowledged that there was 'more to be done to improve signposting in the event of a closure'.

'There is a dedicated search facility on the NHS website and on the NHS App, so people can find a pharmacy that is convenient to them,' they added.

CPE: Core funding uplift 'urgently needed' to stop closures

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England (CPE), said the report shows 'just how desperate the situation for pharmacies has now become'.

'Ongoing financial, operational and workforce pressures are combining to leave pharmacies at crisis point, putting medicines supply and other patient services at serious risk.

'Community pharmacies urgently need their core funding to be uplifted to stabilise the sector, halt the trend of pharmacy closures, and allow pharmacies to keep doing what they do best: supporting local communities and the wider NHS.

'Without this stabilisation we can expect the trend of pharmacy closures to continue, with a risk of the sector collapsing under the strain.'

IPA: NHS is broken, but not beaten

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), said the report 'highlights long-term underfunding and barriers preventing community pharmacies from reaching their potential'.

She added: 'The secretary of state says the NHS is "broken but not beaten"—and he’s right, we can change this.

'Pharmacies are the accessible front door of the NHS. They help the patients who bear the brunt of the healthcare problems in this country. We want to work with the government to secure the proper funding and support.

'With such a constructive approach, we can keep the doors open, the lights on, cut waiting lists, and empower patients to live independently.'

NPA: Invest in pharmacies to free up GPs

Commenting on the report, Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association warned that if people lose access to community pharmacies, 'it will force more patients into the 8 o'clock scramble at their GP surgery, putting pressure on the rest of our NHS system'.

He added: '1.6 million people a day visit their pharmacy but they are closing at a record rate, and millions of people are seeing the effect of that in their communities.

'If the government wants to cut GP waiting times – and free up GPs to see patients with more serious conditions – it needs to invest in community pharmacy.'

CCA: Long-term investment needed

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), warned against 'untenable' real-terms cut to pharmacy core funding over the last decade.

'Without significant additional funding, further pharmacy closures are inevitable, and patients will find it harder to access the medicines and NHS care they need,' he said.

'The government must commit to deliver long-term investment in the sector if it is to realise its ambitions for the health service. We hope that the forthcoming budget and next year’s 10-year health plan and comprehensive spending reviews delivers additional investment which protects the access offered by the pharmacy network.'