Caroline Voaden MP today urged the Government to introduce rural exceptions to the pharmacy funding model, warning that the existing system risked creating pharmacy deserts in places like South Devon.

In her question to the Health Minister, Stephen Kinnock, Caroline referenced her recent visit to Modbury Pharmacy, where owner Phil Dawes explained how the current funding model doesn’t account for the lower footfall and limited referral rates that are common in rural areas.

While pharmacy closures are a nation-wide problem, they are particularly prevalent in rural areas, with two pharmacies closing in South Devon in the past year: Compass House in Brixham; and Leatside in Totnes.

A campaign is underway to reopen the former, which Caroline is supporting. A change.org petition has already accrued nearly 2,000 signatures, with the comments highlighting the lengthy wait times and poor accessibility at Totnes’s two remaining pharmacies.

In his response, the Minister emphasised the poor state the pharmacy sector was left in by the Conservatives and highlighted the reforms the Government is exploring around better use of technology and hub and spoke dispensing.

South Devon MP Caroline Voaden said:

“When I speak with pharmacy owners in South Devon, a consistent, concerning message emerges: the current funding model is failing rural areas. It’s clear this system was designed with urban centres in mind. This pattern is all too familiar, with rural services repeatedly struggling under systems that overlook their specific challenges.

“The closure of a small-town pharmacy has serious ramifications. Accessing essential advice and medication becomes incredibly difficult, given the already poor state of rural transport. The outcry over Leatside Pharmacy's closure in Totnes clearly demonstrates the depth of this issue.

“Rural Britain already grapples with dental deserts. My concern is that unless exceptions to the funding model are quickly introduced, pharmacy deserts may also become an unfortunate reality.”