A pharmacy plans to close and merge with another, which some residents feel leaves them without adequate service.
Rowlands Pharmacy plans to consolidate its Liverpool 8 Lodge Lane branch with its pharmacy in The Elms. Once closed it will not be possible for any other pharmacy to open on Lodge Lane as a condition of the consolidation application.
A petition was set up opposing closure which residents feel impacts the most vulnerable. Sonia Bassey of L8 Matters Community Land Trust told the ECHO: "In an area deemed the third most deprived for health and disability the need to use the local pharmacy for face to face consultations for minor health issues and alleviating concerns and pressure on GP's will be diminished.
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"The undercurrent here of the closure of much needed resources in diverse communities has not gone unnoticed. We’ve fought for years to ensure health services meet the needs of the diverse communities and cultures within it. It’s beyond comprehension that you would reduce much needed resources in an area identified for one of the worst in health and disability".
Objections cited in the petition; consolidation will prevent any other pharmacist opening residents feel this is trying to control competition, elderly residents cannot travel as far as The Elms and concerns about managed decline of the service with prescription drugs not being in stock and waiting weeks for their medication.
A service user who did not wish to be named said: "I have not heard until I heard it from you. They have not told me".
Commenting on the petition Hazel Tilley said: “This is my local pharmacy. Over 20 years I have seen pharmacies within 20 minutes walk of my home closed. Pharmacies are a community resource and the community should be consulted before Rowlands and others put profit before people”
A spokesperson for Rowlands Pharmacy did not confirm that they’ve consulted residents, but said: "We have, of course, informed them of the proposed changes and hope they will continue to use the nearby Rowlands pharmacy. I hope all those we care for would say “keep it open"
"The local NHS authority has responsibility to ensure there's sufficient pharmacy care. In doing so, they recognise too many pharmacies with too little NHS funding is simply not viable. Allowing another pharmacy to open when we close misses the point: there is insufficient government funding to sustain the network.
"The community pharmacy network in England is in crisis as a result of real-term funding cuts of around £750m in the last few years. We’re told there will be further real-term funding cuts in the coming years. It is estimated up to 75% of pharmacies are in financial distress leading to closures. The government in England (unlike Scotland) is not prepared to invest in keeping them open".
Rowlands say 95% of income comes from the government and do not want to close and merge. Due to austerity they, Boots and others are incurring tens of millions of pounds of unsustainable losses and have no choice but to close or merge.
BBC news reported on May 8 that the Prime Minister said a primary care access plan will be published by the government to extend and improve the availability of consultations by GPs. Pointing out there are concerns by pharmacists over the feasibility of the plan, which is expected to include an expanded role for pharmacists.
Kim Johnson MP for Liverpool Riverside said: “I am dismayed at the decision to close what is a very well used chemist in the area, leaving residents in a ward with significantly higher than average ill health, due to poverty and deprivation, with difficulties in accessing their pharmaceutical needs. When more people are willing to attend pharmacies for basic health services, it doesn't seem wise to close a local chemist and prevent any other pharmacy service replacing it.
“I’ve already logged an objection with NHS England and raised my concerns with the Health Secretary in Parliament”.
Laura Robertson-Collins, councillor for Arundel Ward and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities added: "If this closure of the pharmacy goes ahead it will leave a large area in L8 without pharmacy provision, in an area with a high level of health need. It’s disgraceful that a company can merge two branches and then prevent any other company providing a service in the same area”.
Rowlands continued: "We encourage those understandably angry about their local pharmacy closing to write to their local MP and encourage them to hold government Ministers to account for their failure to invest in this important local healthcare asset. Pharmacy closures simply piles on more pressures on GPs and A&E departments.
"We do our utmost to ensure patients have easy access to the medicines they need. The medicines supply chain is complex and there are supply disruptions beyond our control. We do our best to minimise these. If a medicine goes short for whatever reason, we can only supply and dispense the stock provided to us.
“There's huge potential for community pharmacy to act as the third pillar of patient access to essential care services alongside GPs and A&E from illness prevention to vaccinations to long-term medicine care management. It would improve patient outcomes and satisfaction with care advice and support; we do not understand why NHSE does not embrace this.
“Most patient journeys across our healthcare system touch upon community pharmacy. It is incredible we are seeing local closures due to government underfunding of this essential service".
The government outlined support for pharmacies under their Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2019/20 to 2023/24: supporting delivery for the NHS Long Term Plan (Published 22 July 2019). Then Secretary State for Health Matt Hancock said: "I invite and encourage community pharmacy and other primary care contractors to work with me to deliver integrated and accessible community health services for all and to help people live happier, healthier lives for longer."
The plan sets out, amongst other things, to conclude piloting of the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service with referrals from GP practices and referrals from Urgent Treatment Centres.
Pensioner Heather Dixon said: “The people who are sick, they're not able to get out and they haven't got no one to go on messages for them. They better just keep it open, that's all I know. (The Elms) it's too far for people to go".
For information visit L8 Matters CLT on Facebook HERE
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