{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-date=2018-11-16&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?max-date=2018-11-16&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-date=2018-11-16&_metadata=all&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&max-date=2018-11-16&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-date=2018-11-16&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-date=2018-11-16&hansardHeading=Pharmacy%3A+Closures", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/964036", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/964036/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There remains good access to community pharmacies with 88% of the population able to access their local pharmacy on foot within 20 minutes. To help maintain access to face-to-face National Health Service pharmaceutical services in areas with fewer pharmacies the Government introduced a Pharmacy Access Scheme (PHAS), under which pharmacies eligible for the scheme receive a \u2018top-up\u2019 payment, thus requiring them to make smaller efficiency savings than other non-PhAS pharmacies.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4067", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Brine"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Winchester"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Brine"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-11T14:03:45.033Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-09-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pharmacy: Closures"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the closure of community pharmacies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4661", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jared O'Mara"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield, Hallam"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jared O'Mara"} ], "uin" : "169828"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/714581", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/714581/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Our reforms are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. A consequence may be the closure of some pharmacies but that is not our aim.<\/p>
<\/p>
In the Spending Review the Government re-affirmed the need for the National Health Service to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS\u2019s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a vital part of the NHS and can play an even greater role. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of community pharmacy services including public access to medicines.<\/p>
<\/p>
Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we have a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4080", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Mowat"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Warrington South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "David Mowat"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-04-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "69395"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-04-18T14:16:14.437Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-03-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pharmacy: Closures"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pharmacies he estimates will close in (a) Welwyn Hatfield constituency and (b) England in the next 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1582", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Grant Shapps"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Welwyn Hatfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Grant Shapps"} ], "uin" : "69645"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/604859", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/604859/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS\u2019s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of community pharmacy services including public access to medicines. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we have a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population. Our reforms are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. A consequence may be the closure of some pharmacies but that is not our aim.<\/p>
The Government announced the package of reforms for the community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond on 20 October 2016. This included full details of how the Pharmacy Access Scheme will operate, as well an impact assessment for the package of reforms. This can be found at:<\/p>