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Avicenna’s Jetha: cuts make me "boil with anger"

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Avicenna’s Jetha: cuts make me "boil with anger"

Avicenna chief executive Salim Jetha has warned of tough times ahead when the pharmacy funding cuts begin to bite and the possibility of widespread job losses across the sector.

Speaking today (May 30) at his company’s 16th annual convention in Mauritius, Mr Jetha said that individual pharmacies could be looking at losses in the region of £15-17,000 in the first year of the cuts and a further £25,000 over the next two years. Furthermore, if 3,000 pharmacies were to close, around 15,000 jobs could be at risk, more than Tata Steel in Port Talbot and BHS. “My main concern is for pharmacy staff,” he said.

“Like most of you here, I own my own business and it hurts a lot. The cuts are a lose-lose situation for all stakeholders and that’s frightening. It makes me boil with anger and is a disgrace. What I find incredible is that we constantly have to justify to the deaf ears [of Government] the role we can play in the NHS.”

Fifteen and 3 per cent of GP and A&E visits respectively could be saved through pharmacy interventions at a fraction of the existing cost, he said. “Independents have the ability to adapt quickly to local needs but don’t have deep pockets to play a waiting game so are likely to be the first [to exit the sector].”

Mr Jetha has written to the prime minister to express his concerns. With the pharmacy cuts petition approaching 2 million signatures, he wondered whether David Cameron would listen to the weight of public opinion in support of pharmacy. 

The cuts make me boil with anger and are a disgrace

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