Nearly 1,000 pharmacies in England closed since 2017, with poorer areas more affected

Campaigners from the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies protest outside parliament in London. The figures call into doubt efforts to relieve pressure on overstretched English GP surgeries. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

Almost 1,000 pharmacies in England have closed since 2017, potentially leading to millions of extra GP appointments, the Guardian can exclusively reveal.

There are more than 11,000 pharmacies in England. Guardian analysis of the official register of these chemists has found that parts of the country have lost more than one in five pharmacies in the last six years, with poorer areas experiencing proportionally more closures.