Watch my contribution supporting rural pharmacies

I took part in a parliamentary debate about NHS funding in the South West this week, and as you can see from how busy the room was, there was plenty to discuss.

After my colleagues had talked about GP surgeries, the state of Torbay Hospital, and ambulance waiting times, I spoke about an aspect of healthcare that is often overlooked: pharmacies.

We’re at risk of becoming a pharmacy desert in South Devon. In the past year, two have closed here, and a lot of this is down to the funding model used for pharmacies.

A lot of the allocation is tied to footfall, and in rural areas, many pharmacies don’t reach the requisite number to unlock much needed funding. It’s yet another example of rural areas suffering from a system designed for urban centres.