By Business CNCT
Liverpool-based pharmacy group RB Healthcare (RBH) has reported improved financial performance following a major business restructure, with rising revenues and significantly reduced losses bringing the company closer to profitability.
The business operates 15 community pharmacies across the Liverpool City Region and the wider North West. After facing financial difficulties and breaching its loan covenants in early 2024, RBH refinanced its debt and introduced a restructuring plan to stabilise its operations.
Its latest annual accounts, covering the 12 months to 30 November 2025 and filed with Companies House, show revenue increased by 5% to £16.5m. Pre-tax losses fell to £168,237, compared with £577,502 in the previous financial year.
The improvement comes amid continued financial pressure across England’s community pharmacy sector, where concerns over NHS funding have placed significant strain on independent operators and larger chains alike.
Restructuring delivers financial improvements
In their annual report, directors and principal shareholders Rishi Bhatia and Dr Sumit Kochhar said the restructuring programme had improved the underlying performance of the business.
However, they warned that NHS funding remained insufficient to meet the sector’s needs.
Industry representatives have argued that NHS funding for pharmacies has fallen by 40% since 2015 when adjusted for inflation, leaving many operators struggling to manage rising costs and maintain services.
In May 2026, Community Pharmacy England (CPE), which represents and advocates for community pharmacy owners in England, secured a 10.3% increase in annual funding for its members, taking the total to more than £3.6bn.
Although the increase exceeded the general uplift in NHS funding, CPE said it had been reluctant to accept the agreement because it believed the settlement remained insufficient to resolve the sector’s ongoing financial difficulties.
The organisation warned that continued pressure could lead to further pharmacy closures, reduced opening hours, declining service quality and risks to patient safety.
Private healthcare services offer growth opportunities
Despite the challenges facing the sector, RBH’s directors expressed confidence that growing demand for private healthcare services could help improve the group’s profitability.
They said the recent increase in demand for private services provided grounds for optimism that the company could expand organically under its existing business plan.
Developing these services could provide an additional source of income as the group seeks to strengthen its financial position and reduce its reliance on NHS-funded activities.
Dividends paid as losses narrow
The accounts also show that RBH paid £319,341 in shareholder dividends to the company’s directors and their close family members during the reporting period.
The business employed 137 people over the financial year.
With revenue continuing to grow and pre-tax losses substantially reduced, RB Healthcare’s latest results suggest its restructuring efforts are beginning to deliver improvements. However, the company’s progress towards sustained profitability will depend on maintaining this performance while navigating ongoing funding pressures across the community pharmacy sector.
