Local chemists battling rising costs would have been better off shutting their doors during the coronavirus pandemic, an industry leader warned last night.
The National Pharmacy Association has written to Boris Johnson asking for help as its members face an unprecedented crisis triggered by the outbreak.
The sector was handed a £300million advanced payment to cope with Covid-19, with £200million paid on April 1 and £100million at the start of this month.
But announcing the cash, the Department of Health stressed the cash was not extra money. It said: “This uplift is not an additional funding over and above what was agreed for 2020/21 under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 5-year deal.