Category: News

A new campaign has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and help with early diagnosis.

The ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign is running in community pharmacies this April and May as part of the Living Well service. It highlights the role of pharmacy teams in providing advice and support, and encourages people who may be experiencing possible cancer symptoms to talk to their GP. It also aims to promote healthy changes to help reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future.

Dr Anna Cullen, Public Health Registrar at the Public Health Agency (PHA), said: “Cancer is a common condition. It is estimated that around half of us will develop some form of cancer in our lifetime.

“Everyone knows what feels ‘normal’ for them and it’s important to be aware of any changes in your body, but there are some common changes and symptoms to look out for and act on. Being aware of the general signs and symptoms of cancer can help in early detection and increase your chance of survival.”

Some signs and symptoms to look out for include:

· coughing up blood;

· blood in urine;

· blood mixed through bowel motion (stools);

· a change in bowel habit that lasts for three weeks or more;

· unexplained, significant weight loss (5kg/10lbs over a couple of months);

· a lump anywhere on your body;

· changes on your skin or to an existing mole (such as itching, bleeding or a change in shape or colour);

· a sore that doesn’t heal;

· symptoms that refuse to clear up, for example a cough or hoarseness that lasts for more than three weeks.

Dr Cullen concluded: “If you notice any of these symptoms and you feel something isn’t right, do not hesitate to contact your GP. In many cases, these symptoms will turn out to be a sign of something far less serious, but it is always best to get them checked out. If it is cancer, an early diagnosis means treatment is more likely to be successful.

“You can also ask your pharmacist for advice and further support. They can help you identify ways you can reduce your risk of developing cancer.”

Clare Conroy, Community Pharmacist from Meigh Pharmacy, Co Down added: “The earlier you find cancer, the easier it is to treat. Community pharmacy is the ideal setting to help encourage people to look after their health, and pharmacy teams play a critical role in supporting early cancer diagnosis.

“As well as advising on how to spot cancer early, pharmacy teams can help support people to make healthy changes that could reduce the risk of cancer. The first step is simple, just ask your pharmacist for advice.”

As part of the Living Well campaign, community pharmacies across Northern Ireland are providing the free information booklet, ‘Be Cancer Aware – Spotting symptoms and reducing your risk’, to members of the public. A copy of this leaflet can be found at www.pha.site/be-cancer-aware-leaflet

For further information on the signs and symptoms of cancer see www.BeCancerAwareNI.info

Health service bodies say increased staff costs will impact patients

From 1 April 2025, Northern Ireland Community Pharmacists, General Practitioners, Dentists and Optometrists have warned that new UK Government National Insurance Contribution (NIC) and Minimum Wage increases will have an immediate impact on patients and the wider health service. 

Their representative bodies (Community Pharmacy NI, the BMA, the British Dental Association and Optometry NI) are calling on the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and the Northern Ireland Executive for immediate financial support.  They have warned of the imminent risk of vital health services collapsing as operating costs can no longer be covered.

The NIC and Minimum Wage changes, effective from April 2025, add significantly to staff costs.  The four bodies have stated the impact of these additional overheads will be an inevitable reduction in opening hours, cuts to staffing levels and reduced access to patient care.

Although commissioned to deliver primary care health services on behalf of the Department of Health, these practitioners are not shielded from the UK government’s latest revenue-raising measures.  Unlike hospitals or health trusts which fund staff costs through national health service pay agreements, many of these practitioners (dentists, opticians, community pharmacists and GPs) operate as small businesses and are therefore responsible for their own wage bills.

For community pharmacy alone, the estimated additional cost from the new rates of NIC and minimum wages is £12.4million per annum, with the first hit on wages bills being felt this week.

In a letter to the Minister in December the grouping of four healthcare bodies warned that urgent and immediate action is needed, as vital primary health services are at risk.  They said,

“Medical, pharmacy, dental and optometry providers are the front door to the health service for families across Northern Ireland and vital for the transformation of care.

“Yet these services are under extreme financial pressure, resulting in the closure of general practices and community pharmacies, the most rapid shrinkage of NHS Dentistry anywhere in the UK and reduced access to optometry caused by the removal of automatic access to care for patients on universal credit.

“Without adequate protection from UK Government policy changes, the precarious position of Family Practitioner Services in Northern Ireland will deteriorate further.”

The magnitude of the national insurance cost impact to the independent sector, which includes community pharmacists, GP’s, dentists and opticians, is accepted by the Health Minister as £36.5m annually.

From the start of April, the public are being warned to expect a reduction in opening hours and staff levels, together with longer waits for appointments and services, as contractors struggle to meet demand in the face of these unprecedented financial pressures.

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene, said,

“In the private sector, businesses can often offset such cost increases by raising the prices of their goods and services. Community pharmacies do not have this option. Unlike the health service, they are not shielded from these increases. 

“The situation is becoming wholly unsustainable and goes entirely against the ethos of delivering public health services – individual pharmacy contractors are personally propping up this service out of their own pockets. We are at the point where, regrettably, this now means difficult decisions on staff numbers and opening hours.” 

Dr Frances O’Hagan, BMA Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee chair said,

“We cannot overstate the severe financial pressures Family Practitioner Services in Northern Ireland collectively are now under. This will inevitably mean increased patient access issues, further shrinkage of Health Service dentistry in NI, further closure of general practices and community pharmacies, and reduced access to NHS services in optometry practices caused by the removal of automatic access to care for those patients on universal credit. The scope for each of us to raise additional revenue is extremely limited and we would not want patients having to pay more when their own finances will be similarly stretched.

“We call on the Health Minister and the Executive to intervene immediately and provide the mitigation and support needed to offset these latest cost increases we now face.” 

Community pharmacies across Northern Ireland can now sign up to the Daffodil Standards for palliative and end of life care. The Daffodil Standards are a joint initiative between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Marie Curie that aim to build on the high standard of care already provided to palliative care patients and their families by community pharmacy teams.

The Standards were launched at Parliament Buildings on Monday 31st March 2025 and are supported by Department of Health NI, Pharmacy Forum, and Community Pharmacy NI, and are led by the regional lead pharmacist for palliative and end of life care. Community pharmacists can sign up to the Daffodil Standards through the Marie Curie website and they are encouraged to use the Standards to build the confidence of pharmacy team members when providing support to palliative care patients.

Once a pharmacy signs up to the Daffodil Standards, a welcome pack containing all necessary resources will be sent out to pharmacy teams. Community pharmacies across Northern Ireland provide support to palliative care patients daily, and the Standards will support pharmacy teams to offer the best end of life care for their patients and their families.

Katherine Kidd Head of Professional Services and Funding at Community Pharmacy NI commented:
“The launch of the Daffodil Standards to support community pharmacies in providing end of life care to patients is welcomed. Pharmacy teams across Northern Ireland can use the Standards at their own pace to help them gradually build on the high standards of care that is already provided to palliative patients, carers, and family members.”

Kevin McDevitt Palliative Care Network Pharmacists added:
“Community pharmacists and their teams across Northern Ireland already provide a high level of care and support to patients and families through a difficult and challenging time. In adopting the Daffodil Standards, there is an opportunity to reflect on the different ways this engagement happens, and how this can be built upon to enable pharmacy teams to further support their patients. I can see the confidence in my team grow through participating in the Standards and I would wholeheartedly encourage community pharmacists to find out more about how their pharmacy could get involved.”

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Peter Armstrong, Regional Lead Pharmacist for Palliative Care said: “We know the huge contribution community pharmacists make towards good end of life care in their local communities, frequently going the extra mile to ensure the very best care for their patients. Implementation of the Daffodil Standards for Palliative Care provides a framework to enable the whole pharmacy team to build on their skills, develop their confidence, elevate their commitment to palliative care and reinforce their key role in supporting patients with a terminal illness and their families.”

Chris Black, Specialist Palliative Care Pharmacist Marie Curie and Belfast Trust concluded that: “Community pharmacies are the most accessible healthcare providers and are ideally placed to support patients and the families of those diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Daffodil Standards build on the amazing work that community pharmacies already provide, creating a clear, structured approach to palliative and end of life care for the whole pharmacy team. The expertise of the community pharmacy team is then on hand to advise and reassure families when they really need support.”

The representative body for Community Pharmacy in Northern Ireland, CPNI, has told MLAs at Stormont that community pharmacy owners are caught in a difficult position. While community pharmacies are playing an increased role in relieving health service pressures, CPNI has warned the politicians that a deepening financial crisis is threatening the existence of many local community pharmacies and undermining the role they could play.

Speaking to an all-party group of elected members at the Northern Ireland Assembly, pharmacy leaders have laid out the opportunity to ramp-up community-based healthcare through greater use of their clinical expertise; however, they say that a long-running funding shortfall is leaving pharmacy owners struggling to pay their medicine wholesalers and is leading to cuts in staffing and opening hours in an attempt to reduce spiralling overheads.

Representatives from CPNI were briefing politicians at Stormont on Tuesday 25 March on the Community Pharmacy Strategic Plan for 2030. They have worked closely with the Department of Health and SPPG officials to expand and enhance community-based clinical services such as vaccinations, advice and treatment of sore throat, shingles and urinary tract infections and provision of emergency contraception.

While outlining the many advantages of these clinical developments, CPNI has called for political support to bridge a deepening financial gap which threatens to undermine the existence of community pharmacy services.

One community pharmacy owner, Ian Gabbie, from Killyleagh, told the group of politicians that his family-run pharmacy is committed to increasing the role played by community pharmacy in reducing the pressure on GPs and hospital emergency departments.

Mr Gabbie is a passionate community pharmacist, and both his son and daughter are now working alongside him as pharmacists. However, he said that they work extended hours in order to keep staffing costs to a minimum.

Mr Gabbie explained, “Our efforts in Killyleagh are helping to improve health outcomes and reduce pressure on other critical parts of the health service. Regrettably, this is not sustainable with the current funding model. Every month is a financial juggling act to ensure I have the funds to pay my staff and drug wholesalers.

“We have made redundancies and recently reduced our opening times from a full day on a Saturday to just three hours, in an effort to protect our core Monday to Friday services.
“As a sector, a sense of pride in our community pharmacies drives us to prop up our businesses, with the hope that common sense funding will prevail.”

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI said, “The benefits of increasing the clinical expertise of community pharmacists are undeniable: everyone, including the Health Minister has recognised the value and contribution of community pharmacy to health services.

“However, the fact remains that every single month, these individual pharmacy owners are struggling to work within the extremely stressful financial constraints of Department of Health funding model. They’re reducing opening hours, cutting staff and juggling payments to drug wholesalers in order to maintain a safe supply of vital medicines and other services.

“We have welcomed the opportunity to discuss this with politicians. We have sought their support in calling for the Minister to review the financial model, and to work with us to agree – together – a model which will stabilize the sector and allow it to fulfil its potential to transform healthcare in Northern Ireland.”

The body representing community pharmacists in Northern Ireland has told a Stormont committee that recurrent funding difficulties, coupled with the increase in National Insurance Contributions, will see more pharmacies close their doors. The sector has been grappling with a funding deficit of £20 million per year for more than a decade.

According to CPNI, many pharmacists have been defaulting on their wholesaler bills, a clear indicator of the severity of the financial strain being felt across the community pharmacy network.

In a recent survey carried out of community pharmacy contractors, an alarming 43% of respondents had been unable to pay their medicine bills on time over recent months.

The survey also revealed that in the past six months, a concerning 81% have said that they would not recommend the profession to others, a stark contrast to the vital role they play in providing healthcare services to communities across Northern Ireland.

CPNI told MLAs that these existing issues will be compounded by the rise in National Insurance Contributions and wage increases which will see a £12.4 million burden being added to the recurring £20 million deficit.

Turlough Hamill, Community Pharmacist, Hamills Pharmacy, Portadown said: “Community pharmacies are at a breaking point and the financial pressures passed an unsustainable level long ago. It is no exaggeration to say that without prompt intervention, the very future of community pharmacy services is at risk, leaving patients without essential access to medicines and advice.

“Many contractors have had to subsidise costs with personal savings or defer payments, resulting in medicines being withheld, as well as take out loans at high interest rates. Another community pharmacy closed at the end of February 2025 due to financial pressures and there have been 17 closures in the 2-year period to Dec’24 compared to 9 in the previous 8 years.

“Of course, we acknowledge the funding challenges within the health service, but it is important that we bring a sense of reality here today to the situation facing community pharmacy in Northern Ireland and by extension, primary care and the wider health service.
“We are calling on the Department of Health to address and resolve the fundamental funding model once and for all.”

Many pharmacists have told CPNI that relentless financial and operational pressures are negatively impacting their mental health, personal lives, and overall well-being. While they remain passionate about their profession, the current environment makes it an increasingly unsustainable career choice.
Community pharmacy representatives have now warned MLAs that without urgent action, the sector will face reduced services, limiting patient access to care, more pharmacy closures and cuts to opening hours and staff, negatively impacting local communities.
ENDS//..

Community pharmacies in Northern Ireland will face a £12.4m increase in costs due to National Insurance and Minimum Wage increases from 1 April 2025.The hike threatens the long-term sustainability of essential community healthcare services, adding a further significant cost burden to an already beleaguered network of community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

The industry representative body, Community Pharmacy NI says the increased operational costs will impact on service provision and patient accessibility.Since the start of 2023, 17 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland have shut their doors amid an ongoing funding shortfall that the sector is struggling to overcome.

Against the backdrop of these closures, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA recently told MLAs at the Assembly Health Committee that he does not foresee additional funding being allocated to cover the extra costs.

Community pharmacies are calling on officials to protect the community pharmacy network from these cost increases and are calling for a rebalancing of healthcare provision, one that emphasises community care, prioritises prevention over treatment, and supports people in managing their conditions at home.

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene, said,“In the private sector, businesses can often offset such cost increases by raising the prices of their goods and services. Community pharmacies do not have this option. Unlike the health service, they are not shielded from these increases, which are mounting. Community pharmacies are already subsidising the health service, and this will make the situation worse.

“We have already seen 17 community pharmacies close in Northern Ireland since the beginning of 2023 due to the funding shortfall the sector is grappling with. These further pressures because of the NIC increases will certainly impact patients and lead to reduced services in many local areas at a time when we are supposed to support the development of community-based healthcare services and take pressure off secondary care. This runs contrary to the transformation objectives that the health service needs to take forward”.