Key facts: Hull
- Community pharmacies, Humber and North Yorkshire, 2024/25
- 323
- Openings / closures, 2024/25
- 20 / 25
- Independent share (5 or fewer pharmacies)
- 43.7% (England 49.9%)
- Average items per pharmacy
- 112,180 (England 104,192)
- New Medicine Service consultations per pharmacy
- 490 (England 508)
- Commissioning ICB
- NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
2024/25 figures from NHS Business Services Authority pharmacy statistics for the ICB that covers Hull; ranks are among the 37 ICBs outside London.
Community pharmacy in Humber and North Yorkshire
Across Humber and North Yorkshire, which takes in Hull, there were 323 NHS community pharmacies in 2024/25. Independents (five or fewer pharmacies) held 141 of them, 43.7%, and multiples 182; the England share of independents is 49.9%, and Humber and North Yorkshire ranks 22nd of 37 on it. The ICB also covers York.
With multiples holding more of the market than nationally, an independent pharmacy that comes up for sale here can draw competing buyers. Having finance lined up before you offer helps.
Openings and closures in 2024/25
20 pharmacies opened and 25 closed during 2024/25, a net loss of 5. Closures were 7.7% of the Humber and North Yorkshire total (England 6.4%), 11th highest of 37.
Closures redistribute prescriptions to surviving pharmacies. For a buyer this can mean rising items, though a lender will lend against the history already in the figures.
Around Hull, New Medicine Service activity per pharmacy was 543 in Lincoln (Lincolnshire), 579 in Leeds (West Yorkshire) and 553 in Sheffield (South Yorkshire), against 490 here.
How busy Hull pharmacies are
Across the year, 36,234,177 NHS items were dispensed here: 112,180 for the average pharmacy, where England's average is 104,192; only 7 of 37 ICBs were busier. Electronic prescriptions made up 97.0%. Higher volumes per pharmacy support stronger dispensing income, which is what lenders value most in a pharmacy purchase.
Hypertension case-finding ran in 288 Humber and North Yorkshire pharmacies (89.2%, England 86.4%); the area also delivered 158,116 New Medicine Service consultations and 147,783 NHS flu vaccinations in 2024/25. Lenders count services income alongside dispensing, so a good record here strengthens the case.
Buying a pharmacy in Hull
Pharmacy prices are mostly goodwill, so lenders read several years of dispensing, NHS income and services against figures like these, alongside the lease and your contribution. Stock has to be funded at completion and NHS reimbursement arrives in arrears, so plan working capital with the loan. See our guide to buying a pharmacy. The practice purchase loan calculator shows repayments against profit.
Premises, regulation and security
A pharmacy freehold bought in England is subject to Stamp Duty Land Tax on non-residential rates. Any premises loan is secured by a legal charge registered with HM Land Registry. Where the premises are leased, the remaining term and any break clause limit how long a loan can run.
Before completion a lender will want the change of ownership application to Humber and North Yorkshire under way and the premises registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council in the buyer's name.
Lenders for Hull pharmacies
Which lender suits a Hull case depends on the pharmacy and the deal, not the postcode. We search the whole market each time. Fees depend on the lender, and nothing is due upfront.
Common questions
How many pharmacies are there around Hull?
323 community pharmacies dispensed NHS prescriptions in NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB during 2024/25 (NHS Business Services Authority). 20 opened and 25 closed in the year.
How many items does a Hull pharmacy dispense?
The Humber and North Yorkshire average for 2024/25 was 112,180 items per pharmacy; England's was 104,192.
Do Hull pharmacies offer NHS flu vaccinations?
281 of the 323 pharmacies in Humber and North Yorkshire gave NHS flu vaccinations in 2024/25, 147,783 in total.
