Have your say! Should pharmacies be protected from tax increases?

Pharmacy leaders are raising concerns that they may have to cut their opening hours or even close down completely if they aren't shielded from looming tax hikes. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has estimated that the National Insurance increase could cost chemists a whopping £50 million, while the rise in the national living wage might add another £115 million to £152 million to their costs.

Have your say! As pharmacies are asked to take more of the strain from overworked GP's under the NHS 10-year plan, should they be protected from tax increases? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.

This financial pressure comes on top of a 40% real-term funding cut by the government in England over the past decade, which has already resulted in the closure of over 1,500 community pharmacies and reduced operating hours for many others.

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The Mirror is actively campaigning to protect family-run chemists and prevent further closures that are adding to the strain on already overstretched GPs. In a united effort, CPE, along with the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), and the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), have reached out to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, warning that these fiscal pressures could push more pharmacies to the brink of insolvency.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the IPA, issued a grave warning that the sector is "hurtling towards a disaster" which could have a significant impact on the NHS' ability to reform and shift care into community settings. She starkly pointed out: "The brutal reality is that local pharmacies have to pay their bills. Without the mitigating action we call for, these extra costs will be catastrophic for pharmacies. We need urgent actions before these measures undermine community pharmacies' ability to help with the NHS 10-year plan."

The alarm bells are ringing for Britain's pharmacies in light of recent Autumn Budget declarations, leaving the future of the sector in limbo.

In an unprecedented move, British pharmacies are steeling themselves for industrial action, with many planning to cut back on their hours of operation. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) members are preparing to 'work to rule' starting January, a decision that might lead to a suspension of critical services such as complimentary medicine deliveries, access to emergency contraception, and support systems for addiction and smoking cessation.

This assertive step follows an outcry from pharmacy leaders who penned a letter to Mr Streeting subsequent to GPs' cautions that tax alterations might drive some medical practices to cut jobs or even close their doors.

Nick Kaye, the chairman of the NPA, has issued a stark warning: "Unlike most businesses pharmacies cannot pass these costs onto their patients and have limited means to absorb them themselves. Pharmacies are ambitious to expand their role and want to work with the Government to deliver the best possible services for their communities and take pressures from other parts of their health system. However, they simply cannot do this until these oppressive funding challenges are met."

Janet Morrison, the chief executive of CPE, warned that the new measures could "wreak havoc on an already fragile community pharmacy network". Speaking out forcefully against the plans, Malcolm Harrison, the CEO of the CCA, described the proposals as "short-sighted".

Have your say! As pharmacies are asked to take more of the strain from overworked GP's under the NHS 10-year plan, should they be protected from tax increases? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.