A PHARMACIST has warned that smaller chemists will close due to funding cuts being imposed by the Government.

Thorrun Govind, who works for the Sykes Chemists chain based in Bolton, claims customers will lose vital services and shops altogether after the Department of Health decided to force through budget changes for non-hospital pharmacies.

She said: “There’s going to a 12 per cent reduction from December 2016 to March 2017 and that’s going to be followed by a 7.5 per cent, so we’re going to lose some pharmacies in Bolton.

“I think pharmacy closures are going to happen because it’s going to have such an impact.

“We don’t know how many at the moment and we can’t really say.”

Chemists receive fixed fees from the NHS for each item they dispense in a prescription, but those fees are being cut along with the subsidies for other contractual obligations such as promoting healthy lifestyles, supporting self-care and providing information about NHS services.

And Ms Govind says the changes will disproportionately affect independant and small pharmacies.

She said: “The big chains such as Boots, Superdrug and Lloyds can easily absorb the added cost in other parts of their businesses, but independents are going to suffer.

“I expect pharmacists to be cutting staff and reducing services which are not subsidised by the NHS.

“I’m a newly qualified pharmacist so I’m worried about the future of the profession as well in terms of pharmacies closing.” Ms Govind warns that complimentary services not funded by the NHS that could disappear as chemists feel the financial pinch may include free prescription deliveries and the supply of medicine organisation trays.

The Government wants to encourage dispensing pharmacists to set up in GP surgeries but Ms Govind said this will not solve the underlying problem and investment is needed in pharmacies in order to divert more patients from expensive services such as hospital accident and emergency services.

She said: “Nobody will go out of business immediately but it will be a bit of slow death.

“It’s almost like the Government is deliberately trying to cut pharmacy numbers.”

The Department of Health announced last week that it is imposing the two-year funding package and tariffs after negotiations with the industry representative body the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee failed.

A department spokesman said: “The Government has endeavoured as far as possible to collaborate with the PSNC. as per our consultation model of engagement with them. On this occasion, agreement has not been reached.”