Kemi Badenoch MP recently celebrated National Pharmacist Day by visiting Wells Pharmacy in Saffron Walden.
Mrs Badenoch was given a tour of Well Pharmacy, which has served the Saffron Walden community for over a decade, by area manager Jessica Allen and Regional Area Manager, Kashif Wahid.
The NHS’s primary care access recovery plan, announced by the head of the NHS and the Prime Minister in May, committed to making it quicker and easier for millions of people to access healthcare on their high street.
The proposals will improve future patient care by making appropriate, safe and productive use of pharmacy technicians’ knowledge and skills while at the same time enabling pharmacists to deliver a wider range of clinical services to support patients in hospitals and community pharmacies such as Well Pharmacy.
Since December pharmacists have been able to provide initial oral contraception appointments and more blood pressure checks and from February pharmacies across the country will be able to provide treatment for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Recognising and more effectively using the skills of pharmacy technicians will enable pharmacists to spend a greater proportion of their time delivering patient-facing clinical services - using their training and expertise, including prescribing, to improve healthcare outcomes for patients and local communities.
Mrs Badenoch also had a blood pressure check which residents can get for free by dropping into their nearest Well Pharmacy.
Commenting, Mrs Badenoch said:
“It was great to celebrate National Pharmacist Day by popping into Well Pharmacy in Saffron Walden to say thanks for the great service they give to the community year-round.
“Recruitment challenges was also a topic raised and I’m pleased that the Government is committed, through its workforce plan, to expand training places for pharmacists by 29% to around 4,300 by 2028/29.
“Pharmacies are pillars of the community and I’d like to thank the entire team at Well Pharmacy in Saffron Walden for the vital service they offer.”
