My response to the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment consultation

Pharmacy access in Surrey is at risk and the recent draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is failing to address it.The report claims there are “no gaps” in current or future pharmaceutical services in Surrey—but this is simply not true. Residents are still reeling from the closure of Boots in Thames Ditton, leaving many without a pharmacy within walking distance, which impacts vulnerable residents the most.

Pharmacies are under huge financial pressure, and some can no longer sustain the unfunded support they provide. This is in the midst of the NHS crisis, where pharmacies are playing an increasingly prominent role in providing healthcare advice and treatment.

The voices of residents—those most affected—are missing from this process. Their frustrations and lived experiences of closures and reduced services aren’t reflected in the report’s findings.

I have written to the PNA as part of their consultation to urge them to reconsider its conclusions and to listen to the voices of our community.