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The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Henry Gregg has said he has written to the chancellor Rachel Reeves to ask her to support community pharmacies with business rates after she climbed down on a decision to increase the bills for pubs in England.

Gregg took to social media on Saturday to say he would urge Reeves (pictured) to give pharmacies the same support as GP surgeries, NHS dentists “and other parts of the health service”.

"Community pharmacies offer medicines and health advice that is literally life changing and lifesaving,” Gregg said in a post on LinkedIn. “Pharmacy incomes come primarily from the NHS and more than 1,400 have closed in the past decade and those that remain are chronically underfunded.

“Pubs may well deserve support but pharmacies offer more than beer. If we’re protecting local community assets we should remember community pharmacies are fundamental to everyone’s health and deserve fair treatment.”

It is understood the Treasury is putting together a support package for pubs including reduced business rates which would have risen 76 per cent on average in the next three years.

Reeves’ latest climbdown, following her U-turns on inheritance tax rises for farmers and cuts to disability benefits and winter fuel payments, came after pressure from the hospitality industry and the pharmacy sector hopes it can bring about a similar result.

NPA chair Olivier Picard added his voice to calls for Labour not to increase pharmacies’ business rates as the network in England continues to operate to a £2.6 billion funding shortfall, according to an independent analysis commissioned by NHS England last year.

“GP surgeries, NHS dentists and health centres all get help with their business rates because they are vital to communities. And now pubs will too,” Picard said. “But NHS pharmacies have to pay thousands despite facing chronic underfunding from the Government. That can't be right.”

Independent Community Pharmacist has contacted the Treasury for a response. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "NHS figures show hundreds of pharmacies have also opened this year, so there are around the same number of pharmacies in England today as there were last year.

“This government has increased funding to community pharmacies by 19 per cent to £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS - and expanded pharmacists powers to care for patients.”

Pharmacies, as well as the hospitality sector, in Scotland are also anxiously waiting to see whether the Government announces a reduction in business rates in its budget tomorrow.

Bernadette Brown, a pharmacist who runs Cadham Pharmacy and Health Clinic in Glenrothes, warned “rising costs are crippling” and insisted pharmacies deserved to be “treated fairly”.

“I hope (in) Scotland, (we) also can get the same benefits that GPs, dentists and pubs (do). We are a network across all four nations and are integral to the NHS and our communities that we serve day in and out, saving thousands of GP and out-of-hours NHS appointments,” she said.

Image: www.parliament.uk