Gideon Amos MP is stepping up his efforts to get the Jhoots pharmacy in Wellington’s town centre either reopened or sold.
He has written to both the company and to Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, to demand action.
The Fore Street pharmacy has suffered from intermittent opening hours – a sign on the door says it is “currently closed due to lack of pharmacist.”
Allied Pharmacies has announced that it has taken over the management of 60 Jhoots locations - including a number in Somerset - but Wellington is not among them.
Orange Pharmacy was refused a licence in July by Somerset Integrated Care Board, which said the town was already well served by the existing three pharmacies Jhoots, Boots and Superdrug.
In his letter to Jhoots, Mr Amos said: “Residents of Wellington have been let down repeatedly by the Jhoots pharmacy.
“The sudden closure, with no signs of reopening, is very disappointing and I urge you to either reopen, with adequate staffing and provision of medication, or bring in new owners to take on the pharmacy, as you have done with other sites in Somerset.
“Pharmacies play a vital role in our communities and Wellington deserves better.”
In his second letter, Mr Amos asked the Minister what his department was doing to address the urgent issues of pharmacy provision and the closure of Jhoots pharmacies across the country.
“With substantial housing growth planned in Wellington, it is essential that local healthcare infrastructure keeps pace,” he wrote.
“However, access to pharmacy services has been increasingly neglected, and the indefinite closure of Jhoots has made this situation considerably worse.”
“Could you please provide an update on what action the department is taking to address this urgent issue which is affecting communities across the country?”
A spokesperson for NHS Somerset, which commissions community pharmacies in the county, said: “We are aware of continuing concerns from local communities in relation to Jhoots pharmacies in Somerset, including in Wellington, and we know unplanned closures cause disappointment and frustration for local people.
“Where temporary closures occur, these are managed in line with national pharmaceutical regulations.
“Patients should never be left without their essential medications and, where necessary, we take the appropriate formal contractual action, including issuing breach notices and withholding payments.
“Since meeting with partners in Wellington in September, we have been working with and supporting pharmacy providers in Wellington to address local concerns.”
Jhoots has also been approached for a comment.
