Pharmacies in Suffolk are supporting a national protest about a lack of Government funding, with one warning that cuts may have to be made to opening hours and free deliveries in the future.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents independent pharmacies, conducted a ballot among its members who supported proposals to reduce opening hours and stop home deliveries.

The NPA is calling for a £1.7 billion funding increase to plug a "financial hole" and has warned that services may have to be withdrawn from as early as the new year if financial support isn't increased.

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Thelma Okunuga, manager of Queen Street Pharmacy in Southwold, said her pharmacy would not be reducing opening hours or stopping free deliveries as many of the patients there were elderly and relied on the service.

However, she said her team were supporting the NPA action and said the cost of medicines was getting higher, but pharmacies were not being reimbursed due to a lack of Government funding.

She added: "I think we did put in our votes, but something does have to change. I don't think we will be cutting down hours and we do still offer free delivery to our patients because a lot of them are elderly and can't get out.

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"We are still doing that because we are giving the best service to our patients, but it needs to be considered that if we do continue like this, would we survive without the funding?"

However, Imran Ahmed, lead pharmacist at Woodbridge Pharmacy, said there was a possibility that opening hours and the free delivery service would have to be reduced if the lack of funding continued.

He revealed that his pharmacy had already reduced its free delivery service from five days a week to three, while other pharmacies were either cutting services or reducing delivery hours as the cost of medicines continued to rise.

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Some pharmacies had closed, Mr Ahmed added, with some having to pay out of their own pockets for medicines.

He said: "As we write this second, we are not confirming that we will be reducing opening hours and deliveries, but if a lack of funding continues there will be a higher level of possibility that we would have to reduce the free delivery service and the opening hours."

The organisation Community Pharmacy Norfolk & Suffolk, which represents community pharmacies, is also calling for "long-term and sustainable funding" for pharmacies, which are being "chronically underfunded".

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Lauren Seamons, joint chief officer for Community Pharmacy Norfolk & Suffolk, said: “Community Pharmacy Norfolk & Suffolk acknowledges the NPA's announcement regarding the recent poll of its members on reducing opening hours and other actions which are possible within the current NHS contract.

"The NPA results clearly reflect the mounting pressures on pharmacies and chronic underfunding that community pharmacies are facing both nationally and locally.

"The evidence is clear; pharmacies are struggling to maintain their current level of service amidst rising operational costs and insufficient financial support.

"We remain committed to advocating for long-term and sustainable funding that will ensure that pharmacies can continue delivering critical healthcare services to local communities without compromising their operational viability.”

READ MORE: Woodbridge news