Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘Fantastic’ pharmacists hailed on Bestway visit

Just two days before the general election on Thursday (4), Sunak visited Bestway Healthcare Service Centre (HSC) depot in Stoke-on-Trent.

‘Fantastic’ pharmacists hailed on Bestway visit

PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak thanked pharmacists for providing “fantastic healthcare” as he visited a healthcare service depot on Monday (1).

Just two days before the general election on Thursday (4), Sunak visited Bestway Healthcare Service Centre (HSC) depot in Stoke-on-Trent. He was accompanied by Bestway’s chief executive, Lord Zameer Choudrey, and the group’s chief finance officer, Haider Choudrey.


During the site tour, Sunak engaged with the staff and participated in a Q&A session.

Asked about funding plans for pharmacy, he reflected on his personal connection to community pharmacy, revealing that he grew up in a family of pharmacists and spent much of his youth helping the family with prescription deliveries.

He noted the expansion of the Pharmacy First programme, which aims to improve access to healthcare through community pharmacies.

“You might have heard over the past few years that my mum was a pharmacist, so you can feel I’m very much at home being with all of you here this morning,” Sunak said.

“Now, I know firsthand what an incredible job pharmacies do. You have my enormous gratitude and admiration for everything you do to support in providing fantastic healthcare. We’re backing you to do even more with the Pharmacy First programme.”

The new service, which was rolled out in January, enables community pharmacists to manage patients for seven common conditions without GP referral.

“If you have a sore throat or an ear infection, you don’t have to see your GP. You can go straight to your pharmacist and get the consultations that you need as quickly as you need them.

“That difference to billions of people is only possible because of everything that you are doing. So, a massive thank you to all of you for that,” said Sunak.

In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye last week, the prime minister emphasised the need to gradually increase investment in out-of-hospital services.

Sunak also reiterated his party’s commitment to expanding the Pharmacy First service, which is expected to free up an additional 10 million GP appointments.

During his visit to the HSC depot, Sunak saw the outcomes of investment by the Bestway Group into the multi-channel site, which serves 760 Well Pharmacies and more than 5,000 independent pharmacies daily. The HSC depot also houses an online digital pharmacy, an online over-the-counter (OTC) shop, a centralised script fulfilment centre, and holds approximately 10 million packs of medicine in stock.

Sunak said he was impressed by the levels of automation and innovation that make it such a successful operating model.

More For You

Jaishankar-Getty

Jaishankar, who is currently in Europe a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan was training 'thousands' of terrorists 'in the open' and 'unleashing' them on India. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

India will strike deep into Pakistan if provoked, says Jaishankar

INDIA's external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said India would strike deep into Pakistan if provoked by terrorist attacks, and warned of retribution against terrorist organisations and their leaders in response to incidents like the Pahalgam attack.

Speaking to Politico on Monday, Jaishankar, who is currently in Europe a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan was training “thousands” of terrorists “in the open” and “unleashing” them on India.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Reeves

Reeves said the government would focus investment on security, health, and the economy 'so working people all over our country are better off.'

Getty Images

Reeves to unveil spending plan with focus on defence and NHS

THE GOVERNMENT is set to announce its medium-term spending and investment plans on Wednesday, with significant increases expected for defence and healthcare, alongside reductions in other areas.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will present the spending review to parliament, outlining the government’s fiscal strategy aimed at boosting growth. This comes amid concerns about potential economic pressures from a possible return of Donald Trump to the US presidency and his proposed tariffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London.

Getty Images

£1bn paid to postmasters in Horizon scandal, says UK government

THE UK government said on Monday that more than £1 billion has been paid to self-employed managers of Post Office branches who were affected by faults in the Horizon accounting software.

The update comes a few weeks after Alan Bates, the former subpostmaster who led the campaign for justice, criticised the compensation process, calling it “quasi-kangaroo courts”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Visa UK

Since April 2024, British citizens and settled residents have needed to earn at least £29,000 to apply for a partner visa. (Representational image: iStock)

Getty Images

Migration committee advises lower income threshold for UK family visas

THE UK’s independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has said the government could lower the minimum income requirement for family visas but warned that doing so would likely increase net migration by around 1 to 3 per cent.

Since April 2024, British citizens and settled residents have needed to earn at least £29,000 to apply for a partner visa.

Keep ReadingShow less
Legendary Novelist Frederick Forsyth Passes Away at 86

Forsyth’s reporting took him to politically volatile regions

Getty Images

Frederick Forsyth, master of the thriller genre, dies aged 86

Frederick Forsyth, the internationally renowned author of The Day of the Jackal, has passed away at the age of 86. His agent, Jonathan Lloyd, confirmed the news, describing Forsyth as one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.

With a career spanning more than five decades, Forsyth penned over 25 books, selling 75 million copies worldwide. His work, including The Odessa File and The Dogs of War, set the standard for espionage and political thrillers. Bill Scott-Kerr, his publisher, praised Forsyth’s influence, stating that his novels continue to define the genre and inspire modern writers.

Keep ReadingShow less