Allied Pharmacies has announced the acquisition of another 68 branches of chain Jhoots Pharmacy in a move it said will help restore the ailing sites.
Trade unions and MPs are among those to have raised concerns about operational problems at Jhoots and allegations of unpaid staff wages.
The latest acquisition adds to the 61 branches that Allied Pharmacies took over earlier this year, bringing a total of 129 to its network.
A spokesman for the buyer said it was “focused on bringing these pharmacies back to full operational capacity as quickly as possible to safeguard patient care, while also acknowledging the former Jhoots employees for their commitment and resilience during this challenging time”.
“We want to assure them that they will receive the same consideration and care as those supported during the earlier acquisition of pharmacies this year,” it said.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said in an urgent emergency parliamentary debate in October that it is “completely and utterly unacceptable if a business such as Jhoots is not paying its staff”.
“Unfortunately, there are some (pharmacies) that fall short of the standards that we expect, and sadly, the services provided by Jhoots are falling well below the mark,” he said.
He heard from MPs who raised concerns about branches in their own constituencies shutting unexpectedly, mismanaging controlled drugs and not paying staff wages or rent to landlords.
One MP said he had been contacted by Jhoots’ staff, who had gone months without pay and were relying on food banks as a result.
Trade union, the Pharmacy Defence Association (PDA), estimated that more than £870,000 in unpaid locum fees was owed by Jhoots businesses to its members.
Before the Allied takeover, there were about 150 Jhoots pharmacies across the UK.
