LOCAL MP Rachel Gilmour is to lead a Parliamentary debate on community pharmacies on Tuesday (June 2).

Mrs Gilmour will highlight the work the pharmacies do in her Tiverton and Minehead constituency, which includes West Somerset, parts of Mid Devon and the Blackdown Hills, and parishes bordering Wellington.

She will use the debate in Westminster Hall to press the Government to provide more support for pharmacies so they can continue to deliver vital services.

Mrs Gilmour said: “I am delighted to be leading this Westminster Hall debate on community pharmacies.

“It is a vital topic for constituents right across Tiverton and Minehead, and I want to use it to properly champion the pharmacies that so many people here depend on.

“For many of my constituents, particularly those in rural parts of the constituency, easy access to life-improving and life-saving medications and advice is not something they can afford to lose.

“Community pharmacies need to be front and centre of this Government’s agenda, and I will make sure to use this debate to keep the pressure on to ensure these vital services get the support they need.”

Ahead of the debate, Mrs Gilmour wants to hear from anybody with information or experiences of local pharmacy services.

She can be contacted through her constituency office by emailing to [email protected].

The debate comes after the Government announced this week that from the autumn pharmacists will be able to prescribe more medications than ever.

The Government is investing £340 million in its Pharmacy First scheme which allows pharmacists in England to hand out medication for eye, ear, oral, dental, and digestive issues.

Another five ‘common ailments’ will be added to the list in the autumn, although the Government has not yet said what they will be.