At Wednesday’s full council meeting (covered live by OnTheWight as usual), members will consider a motion put forward by Geoff Lumley.
Cllr Lumley asks members to support a motion calling on the Government to re-think cuts to the pharmacy service, something which the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group wishes to see an increase in to help relieve the pressure on GPs.
His motion reads,
Council notes reports that up to eight Island pharmacies face the axe due to a cut in Government funding of £170m, which comes into effect in December.
“These cuts were supported by the Island’s MP (Andrew Turner) in Parliament on 2 November, ostensibly because he thinks the current system supports pharmacies in towns rather than rural areas.
“Council believes that the Government’s cuts threaten patient access to pharmacies and pharmacy services across the Island. Pharmacies are at risk of being forced to cut services such as free delivery of prescription drugs, family planning advice and advice on medicines.
“This will put more pressure on GPs and hospitals and impact social services and is at odds with the local Clinical Commissioning Group’s desire to increase the use of pharmacists to ease pressure on our already over-stretched GPs.
“Council, therefore, calls on the Government to re-think these cuts and maintain a fully-funded community pharmacy service and requests the Leader of the Council to write to the MP, the Secretary of State for Health, NHS England and the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group expressing these views.
