Nearly 300,000 people have seen their local pharmacy shut this year, with dozens closing in shortage areas leaving patients with 17-mile round trips to pick up vital medicines.
Analysis of NHS figures by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 51 high-street pharmacies in England shut between January and August this year – the equivalent of two a week.
31 of these were pharmacies given government funding under a scheme to maintain vital access to medicines for patients in “healthcare shortage” areas.
The Reform MPs who face losing their seats according to new poll
Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman are among four Reform UK MPs who would lose their seats if a general election were held tomorrow, fresh polling by YouGov shows.
Falling behind the Tories
Tory defector Danny Kruger and Sarah Pochin – who beat Labour in a 2025 by-election – would also be unseated, according to the leading UK pollster’s first large-scale election modelling since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
Although the party’s numbers of MPs would hugely increase, it would have fewer seats than the Tories overall, marking a significant fall when compared to last year’s polling.
How a Labour government could be formed
The poll predicts that Labour would be the biggest party in a hung parliament.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey recently ruled out forming a coalition with Reform or the Tories but stopped short of excluding a coalition with Labour.
However, to form a Parliamentary majority in this scenario, Burnham would also need to work with the SNP or Plaid Cymru.
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Reform expanding its operations
The polling comes as Reform is preparing a huge expansion of its operations around the country, targeting London, the South East, the South West and the East of England.
- Analysis of Reform job adverts by The i Paper suggests the party is pumping resources into areas where it wants to keep its high-profile Tory defectors.
There’s turmoil in the Liberal Democrats. And MPs are struggling for direction
Stagnant in the polls but still a potential kingmaker, the party’s at a crossroads – even its own members are asking what comes next.
Record number of assaults on Britain’s trains – what to know
Assaults on Britain’s railways have hit record levels, new figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have revealed.
The numbers
The data published on Thursday showed there were 13,464 reported assaults on people who were not railway workers between April 2025 and March 2026, an increase of 36 per cent compared to the previous year.
- 11,289 assaults on rail workers on mainline networks were also recorded, an increase of 12 per cent. This included 6,390 incidents of verbal abuse, 2,487 physical assaults and 2,412 threats.
Working to make railways safer
No-one on the railway should be subjected to violence, threats or abuse. We’re working with industry and our trade union colleagues to address work-related violence and harassment, including through recent guidance which sets out what we expect from rail employers.
Richard Hines, ORR’s chief inspector railways
Walkers reveals three new crisp flavours
Three new “gold” flavours of Walkers are now available for crisp lovers. The new snacks mark the brand’s biggest revamp in 80 years.
What are the flavours and how much are they?
The new flavours are black truffle, sea salt and olive oil and Somerset mature cheddar and onion.
Each pack is branded as “Premium Potato Crisps”.
The crisps come in 140g bags and can currently be bought for £2 each.
Where you can buy them
The entire range launched on Ocado officially today, but from October 12, they will be widely available in major UK supermarkets for a cheaper price of £1.50.
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Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, added the closures were “depressing” and work needs to be done to prevent this situation becoming the “new normal”.
The South West of England has been hit hardest by closures.
Nine pharmacies closed across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Three pharmacies alone closed in the Somerset town of Taunton.
A spokesperson for Taunton Town Council said they were “concerned” at the closures.
“While responsibility for commissioning these services sits elsewhere, we recognise the value pharmacies bring to our communities and hope there is no loss of access or increased pressure on residents who may need to travel further for essential healthcare services,” the spokesperson added.
Closures are forcing patients to travel significant lengths to access emergency prescriptions as well as contraception and clinical advice, particularly on a weekend, patient groups and pharmacies have warned.
The recent closure of a Lloyds Pharmacy in Long Rock, Penzance, left patients with an up to 1 hour and 20-minute journey by public transport to access their nearest pharmacy – a 17-mile round trip.
Another closure in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, left patients with a 10-mile round trip to their nearest alternative, estimated to take an hour on public transport.
Of the pharmacies that closed, 31 were supported by the NHS Pharmacy Access Scheme. Branches get additional funding from the government to ensure access to pharmacy services in communities where there is no alternative nearby.
Why are pharmacies closing?
Pharmacies have seen real-terms cuts of 40 per cent to their funding since 2016, despite recent uplifts.
Since then, a total of 1,500 pharmacies have closed. That means 9.9 million patients in England – a fifth of the population – have seen their local pharmacy close, analysis shows.
“When a pharmacy closes, it can create pockets where patients will find it harder to access medicines, collect prescriptions and get advice from their local pharmacy,” said Dr James Davies, director of research and insights at Community Pharmacy England (CPE), which represents branches.
“Closures often happen in areas where healthcare support is needed most so it intensifies health inequalities.”
Despite the Government announcing a £340m boost to pharmacy funding in May, economic analysis commissioned by the NHS for CPE shows community pharmacies still face a funding gap of more than £2bn.
Just one in seven pharmacies are profitable, a separate survey by CPE of more than 2,900 pharmacies in July revealed.
Ashley Cohen, managing director of pharmacy staffing agency Pharm-Assist, which owns branches in Yorkshire, said: “No healthcare professional should have to put their hands in their own pockets to fund their service.
“You wouldn’t ask a GP to pay for an X-ray referral themselves, so why are you asking a pharmacist to fund the medicines that a patient needs because the Government isn’t paying for the cost price.”
Pressure on other NHS services
One branch in York has had to reduce its opening hours down to five and a half days a week.
Cohen added: “A community wants access to a healthcare professional seven days a week, but the Government isn’t paying for that level of service.”
NPA leaders urgent the Government to reform the NHS’s contract with pharmacies. Around 90 per cent of a pharmacy’s work is funded through the NHS, they added.
William Pett, interim director of policy and external Affairs at Healthwatch, said longer distances were “difficult for those with limited mobility or no access to transport”.
“It is no surprise that some people end up turning to other parts of the NHS when they cannot get the help they need in their community.”
NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care have been contacted for comment.