The Ulster Unionist peer Lord Rogan will lead a delegation of pharmacists to meet the Northern Ireland office minister Fleur Anderson for urgent talks over the impact of funding pressures and Labour’s budget on the country’s pharmacy network.

The 82-year-old (pictured), who stood down as deputy speaker in the House of Lords this year, warned rising costs continue to threaten the existence of pharmacies in Northern Ireland and insisted the issue was “not a matter for Stormont but a problem created by UK ministers.”

“Only they have the power to fix it,” he said, insisting he was “looking forward to a constructive meeting with Fleur Anderson and hoped that a positive outcome can be achieved.”

Lord Rogan claimed Labour ministers were imperilling pharmacies with their refusal to cover the costs of “significant increases” in employers’ national insurance contributions and national living wage “despite agreeing to do so for other parts of the NHS.”

“For far too long, local pharmacists across Northern Ireland have been dispensing prescriptions at a loss dealing whilst with other rising cost pressures which has placed their very existence at risk,” he said.

“This has placed innumerable community pharmacies in Northern Ireland – especially those in rural areas - in a potentially unsustainable financial position.”

Earlier this month, Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland chief executive Gerard Greene warned Labour’s Budget will have a “devastating impact” on financially stretched pharmacies in the country.

He said 17 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland had closed since the start of 2023 because of funding pressures and more will follow if the situation does not improve.

Image: www.parliament.uk