Robin Wilson: Pharmacy late-night opening hours analysis featured in the Financial Times

The author suffered severe back pain over Christmas and received a prescription from an out-of-hours GP. He was surprised to discover the nearest pharmacy open late was a long drive away. Using available NHS data, he investigated the availability of late-night pharmacies. His analysis revealed a dramatic decline in late-night pharmacy availability between 2022 and 2025. The number of pharmacies open past 9 pm on weekdays decreased by about 95% in that period. This decline led to him sharing his findings with a journalist after discussing it with friends. The Financial Times published an article featuring his data analysis. The article highlights concerns about patient access to care during off-hours. The author, a geospatial software engineer, used Python and pandas for the analysis. The FT verified the findings and created the charts and maps in their style.