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Dramatic news from BBC Breakfast this morning.
Scotland? No mention but a big story on a murder…….in LA.
Scotland has not seen a large net loss of pharmacies since 2017. Numbers have stayed broadly stable, in contrast to England.
There were 1 253 on the register in December 20171 and 1 283 in 20262.
Scotland’s contract and funding model has been cited as offering more protection than England’s. BBC Health made this explicit. BBC Scotland looked the other way.
Pharmacists in England look to Scotland, where a scheme called Pharmacy First, external includes a contract between the sector and the Scottish government setting out what services are expected, with payment for every consultation.
These cover minor ailments and illnesses, some of which might once have been dealt with at GP practices. In England there is a less formal arrangement, with some consultations by pharmacists not remunerated. There is also more prescribing of medicines by pharmacists in Scotland.
George Romanes, who owns a chain of local pharmacies in the Scottish borders, believes the new structure works better than the arrangements south of the border.
“I used to have an English pharmacy but I sold it, and all the outlets we have now are in Scotland. I think the Scottish contract is much more patient-focused,” he said.
“The fact you can come in and see a pharmacist there and then as it were, rather than needing an appointment, is very beneficial for patients, they like to get a problem sorted as quick as they can.”3
Sources:
- https://www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk/documents/nhs_boards/fife/Pharmaceutical%20Care%20Services%20Plan/Pharmaceutical_Care_Services_in_NHS_Fife_2017_18_28_April17_FINAL.pdf
- https://www.findpharmacy.co.uk/blog/state-of-uk-community-pharmacy-2026
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65481473
Footnote – Pharmacies per 100,000 people – 22.6 in Scotland but only 17.7 in England – Source AI with multiple sources. Try it yourself?
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Don’t think there is much difference between Scotland and England, the entire pharmacy system is in danger of collapse. The figures are disguised by companies going into administration but the actual pharmacies have been considered a going concern by liquidators and therefore remain open. I have concentrated only on Scotland. The story is very complex and part summarised by these references: https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD137915/Lloydspharmacy-goes-into-liquidation-with-293m-owed-to-creditors/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LloydsPharmacy#History and https://www.aurelius-group.com/in-its-biggest-deal-in-history-aurelius-acquires-mckesson-uk. The collapse into administration of Amiry & Gilbride Healthcare Limited in May 2026 has recently been updated by the creditors’ decision on 9th July 2026 regarding the administrator’s proposal report of 22nd June 2026 (see Companies House/Amiry & Gilbride Healthcare Limited/filings). The proposal is an astonishing document charting the movement of millions of pounds, much of it personal cash injection (more than £5million) and a simplistic overview might be that the breakup of LloydsPharmacy was a hollowing out exercise at the expense of the taxpayer (via the NHS prescribing funding mechanisms, at least to boost valuations) and at the expense of those pharmacy investors who picked up pieces of LloydsPharmacy. This story, involving at least half a billion pounds, really needs a forensic accountant to work out what is going on. Recently another two pharmacy chains have had an administrator appointed in the same manner as Amiry & Gilbride: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26552991.scottish-high-street-pharmacy-chain-firms-administration/. More will follow. It is incredible how this scandal is taking place in plain sight but is hardly (and then badly) reported.
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