In News

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

Prime minister Keir Starmer has said Labour is “working speedily” to assess options for strengthening business regulations for pharmacy owners.

Mr Starmer spoke in parliament yesterday (November 12) about the Government’s response to concerns about pharmacy chain Jhoots, which has been accused of failing to open its branches during contracted hours and to pay permanent staff and locums. 

Edward Morello, the Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, told the prime minister that Jhoots has “severely neglected patients and staff,” adding that “unfit pharmacy owners… should not be running our care system”. 

Mr Morello – who first raised this issue in parliament in October – asked: “Will the prime minister make time in the parliamentary schedule for emergency legislation to give the Government and regulators powers to pay staff, tackle improper pharmacy owners and directors and ensure that scandals like this can never happen again?”

The prime minister replied: “It is simply not right that customers and staff have been so badly let down. 

“[Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock] has convened representatives from across the industry to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

He told Mr Morello that Labour is “working speedily to consider how to strengthen regulation of these pharmacies” and that he will update parliament “as soon as I can”. 

The prime minister’s comments came shortly after it emerged that Allied Pharmacies is to take over the running of 60 Jhoots pharmacies, with the new owners saying they would be “taking steps to address outstanding arrears of unemployed staff” as part of their efforts “to support the workforce and rebuild trust”. 

In late October, one of five Jhoots branches on the Isle of Wight was struck off the NHS pharmaceutical list after the company failed in its appeal against the integrated care board’s initial decision.  

When approached by P3pharmacy, the Department of Health and Social Care declined to confirm if this was the first Jhoots branch to have its listing removed but said: “ICBs across the country will take learnings from this case for future regulatory action.”