West Dorset pharmacies warn of mounting pressure as MP calls for rural funding overhaul
West Dorset pharmacies are reporting ‘six-figure annual shortfalls' due to rising costs and broken funding system
West Dorset MP Edward Morello has warned that community pharmacies are being pushed towards breaking point by rising costs, staff shortages and a funding system he says fails to recognise the realities of rural healthcare.
Speaking in Parliament, Edward Morello highlighted the issue locally, saying 18 pharmacies currently serve a population of about 94,000 people and dispense around 155,000 prescriptions in a typical month.
Since the ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme launched in January 2024, pharmacies in West Dorset have also helped avoid as many as 8,737 GP appointments, according to figures cited by the MP.
Mr Morello said the figures showed why pharmacies were an essential part of the local NHS, particularly for people living in rural communities where a pharmacy may be the most accessible healthcare provider for local residents.
He welcomed the government’s £340 million funding increase for community pharmacies in 2026/27, equivalent to a 10.3% rise. The government says the settlement will also support the rollout of independent prescribing.
But Mr Morello argued the increase did not resolve the sector’s financial problems.
He said some West Dorset pharmacies had reported “six-figure annual shortfalls” and called for a funding formula that took greater account of rurality, population age and the cost of recruiting staff in sparsely populated areas.
Nationally, the number of NHS prescription items dispensed has risen substantially while pharmacy funding has come under pressure in real terms.
The sector has also experienced a massive reduction in the physically number of pharmacies as well.
Workforce shortages are another concern. Edward Morello said NHS Dorset had 207 full-time equivalent pharmacists in 2023, alongside 47 vacancies - a vacancy rate of 19%.
He also pointed to the collapse of pharmacy operator Jhoots, whose branches in Bridport and Lyme Regis were closed for months, disrupting access to prescriptions for thousands of local residents.
Subsequently, the West Dorset MP is calling for stronger powers to intervene when pharmacy operators fail to meet contractual, patient-safety or workforce obligations.
For rural communities already facing pressure on public services, the MP argues that losing another easily accessible local healthcare service would carry a much higher cost.
He said funding must reflect the real cost of providing healthcare across rural Dorset, rather than treating every pharmacy as if it operated in identical circumstances.