Residents, NHS organisations and pharmacy contractors are among those urged to share their views on the latest assessment of pharmaceutical services in Kent.
The feedback will help inform the final Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for the county for 2025-2028.
To take part in the consultation:
- download the draft assessment and comment by midnight, 4 August 2025 at www.kent.gov.uk/pharmacyneeds.
- get help, ask a question or request paper copies of the consultation documents, by emailing PNA@kent.gov.uk
- for alternative formats or languages, email alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 421553 (text relay service number 18001 03000 421553). This number goes to an answering machine, which is monitored in office hours.
“...it is important PNAs accurately reflect our communities’ needs”
Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to publish an updated PNA at least every three years to help ensure pharmaceutical services keep pace with local needs.
PNAs are used by the NHS, councils and Integrated Care Boards to decide whether to approve new pharmacies and make commissioning decisions about other services that could be delivered by pharmaceutical providers.
The proposed new PNA for Kent was informed by over 1,100 responses from residents, pharmacy contractors and dispensing doctors to a questionnaire about local pharmaceutical services.
Kent County Council’s (KCC) Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said; “Pharmaceutical services play a key role in looking after residents’ health and wellbeing, so it is important PNAs accurately reflect our communities’ needs.
“I’m delighted to say we received an excellent response to our recent PNA engagement. This, along with other robust analysis, has helped shape the current draft assessment for Kent. Now this consultation is an important chance to gather views on that report ahead of it being finalised, then published in September.”
The draft PNA for Kent for 2025-2028 concludes:
- NHS pharmaceutical services are well distributed across Kent, serving all the main population centres
- There is adequate access to a range of NHS services commissioned from pharmaceutical service providers
- No gaps have been identified in provision either now or in the next three years for pharmaceutical services
A separate PNA is produced by the Medway Health and Wellbeing Board for Medway residents.
