4. Will the First Minister make a statement on the role of community pharmacies in improving the health of residents in South Wales West? OQ58648

Pharmacies play a vital role in our communities in every part of Wales. Presgripsiwn Newydd, the new pharmacy contract, introduced on 1 April, has extended the range of clinical services all pharmacies can provide, reducing demand on GPs and supporting access to treatment without the need to wait for an appointment.

Diolch. Over the last decade, services delivered by communities' pharmacies have increased, but the numbers of community pharmacies have remained pretty static, despite increased healthcare demands and reforms, such as those you've just mentioned, to support Welsh Government's vision for community pharmacy teams to support health and care services. But many of my constituents have raised issues with me regarding inadequate pharmacy services. In Pontardawe, patients are frequently having to wait over an hour and a half for their prescriptions. An application to open an additional pharmacy was however turned down by the health board and the appeal rejected by Welsh Government, despite accepting some of the arguments put forward by the community, which included all of the GPs in favour of an additional pharmacy to serve it. As a part of the 10-year plan, 'Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales', Welsh Government has committed to enhancing patient experience and to delivering seamless pharmaceutical care. So, how does the Welsh Government propose to match that vision with the current reality on the ground, which, in the case of its decision not to allow an increase in capacity in Pontardawe, the Government is actually obstructing?

If I can just say in relation to Pontardawe that, obviously, I can't comment on an individual case relating to pharmacy location appeals, but I am aware that Swansea Bay University Health Board has been working with the two pharmacies in Pontardawe over the last year to ensure that an action plan is in place to address service provision concerns.

I think you make a very important point about the role of community pharmacies, and certainly over the last decade, we have seen far more services provided. When I was health Minister, exactly a decade ago, for instance, they didn't give flu vaccines, and now it's part of normal life to be able to access your flu vaccination in a pharmacy. So, certainly, I think it's about the right person in the right place delivering that treatment for people, and community pharmacies have been able to offer an extended range of services, and now with the new contract, I think we'll see even more services being provided.

Minister, community pharmacy has changed significantly in recent years. With a network of over 700 pharmacy services rooted in our communities, these professionals have the capacity and ability to do more in both tackling health inequalities and helping people to manage their ill health when needed. What assessment has the Government undertaken to examine where in South Wales West we need to increase the number of community pharmacies, and what is the long-term ambition in developing their service offer?

Thank you. Well, I mentioned that the new contract will allow further services to be developed, going forward, and you are quite right that the role of community pharmacies has changed significantly over the last 10 years. They do play a vital role for patients. You referred to the number of community pharmacies, as did Sioned Williams, and it is fair to say there has been little change, I think, in the number of community pharmacies in Wales over the last 10 years, but we have seen an increase in the number of pharmacy professionals, and that's both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, on the register. I think it's increased by over 3 per cent.