Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday 2 June 2026, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy, Sadik Al Hassan MP, called for a renewed, sector-wide effort to define the future role of community pharmacy. His remarks follow progress through the 2026–27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) settlement, described as a positive step towards stability, while underlining the need for further action to secure the sector’s long-term sustainability.
On Friday 29th May, the APPG recognised the Government’s latest CPCF funding settlement as an important step in providing stability at a critical time for the sector. However, the Group has been clear that this must mark the starting point for a broader programme of reform to fully unlock the potential of community pharmacy within the NHS.
Mr Al Hassan’s contribution to the debate comes alongside the publication of his vision document, Primary Care 2040, which sets out how primary care could evolve through closer integration between community pharmacy and general practice. The report highlights the opportunity for pharmacy to take on an expanded role across medicines management, acute care, prevention and long-term condition support, enabled by improvements in digital infrastructure and workforce development.
At the heart of the report is a future model of care built on better use of data, stronger integration across primary care, and a shift towards prevention and patient-centred services. It makes clear that sustainable, inflation-linked funding, alongside targeted investment in workforce and infrastructure, will be essential to support this transition.
Commenting, Mr Al-Hassan said: “I genuinely feel that we need to have this conversation – it can’t just be one person’s vision of pharmacy, but our profession’s vision.”
In his remarks to Parliament, Mr Al Hassan recognised the significant contribution community pharmacy already makes to the NHS, while warning that ongoing financial pressures risk constraining its ability to deliver for patients. He called on the Government to build on the CPCF settlement with a clear, long-term plan to support the sector to expand its clinical role and integrate more fully into neighbourhood healthcare.