National Pharmacy Association chief executive Paul Rees has said it would be “an insult” if Labour offered to support GPs with the increase in national insurance but not community pharmacies.

As private businesses, pharmacies, GPs, care homes and hospices will pay national insurance at 15 per cent on salaries above £5,000 from next April under plans announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured), compared with 13.8 per cent above £9,100 which they currently pay.

The Royal College of General Practitioners told health secretary Wes Streeting that “necessary funding to cover these additional costs” is needed if GP surgeries are to avoid cutting staff and even closing.

Rees insisted 95 per cent of an average pharmacy’s work was focused on delivering NHS services and called on the government to offer financial support to pharmacies, many of whom are already struggling to stay open because of funding pressures.

“It would be an insult if the government was able to offer support to GPs with the national insurance rise but not hard-working pharmacies, who have faced nearly a decade of cuts in funding and are shutting at record rates,” he said.

“Around 95 per cent of the work of an average pharmacy is spent delivering vital NHS services and they should be included in support offered to other NHS services.”

Reeves told Sky on Sunday that Labour’s tax increases, which amount to £40 billion in total, including a £25 billion rise in national insurance, the biggest overall tax increase since 1993, will help fund £22.6 billion for the NHS.

However, she suggested it was up to the health service to cover the national insurance rise. 

“These are matters for the NHS to make the allocation of money to, for example, hospices as well as GP surgeries, but there’s enough money now in the NHS budget to fund those priorities,” she said.

Rees warned more pharmacies will close if they do not receive financial support to cope with the rise.

“It is imperative the Government’s settlement for pharmacies this year halts the real-terms cuts that have dogged pharmacies for years and covers increased national insurance and national living wage bills,” he said.

“(If not), we will face more pharmacies shutting in the months to come.”

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