URGENT HELP REQUESTED

PHARMACY APPLICATION FOR COLEFORD

Mendip Country Practice has been notified that NHS England has received another application from Unicare Ltd to set up a new Pharmacy in Coleford. Unicare Ltd submitted a similar application in 2011. If the application is approved we will no longer be able to dispense to patients living less than 1 mile from the pharmacy - all of Coleford and most of Holcombe. The resulting loss of practice income would most likely lead to some staff redundancies, a reduction in doctor and nurse appointments and the loss of our home delivery service.

The proposed Pharmacy has stated that they would open only between 9am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. The Surgery is open 8am to 6.30pm and on Tuesdays 7am to 6.30pm, including the dispensary and does not close for lunch. Unicare Ltd has indicated that they would not offer a home delivery service nor offer any services in addition to those already offered by the Surgery. The Surgery does provide a home delivery service for medication and appliances.

We are contesting this application vigorously because we believe that it would result in a poorer service for all of our patients, not just those within the 1 mile limit.

We are asking for your help once again as we are told that public opinion is something that NHS England will take into consideration. We invite you please to write to the NHS England to support the objection to the application before 2nd May 2016 and suggest the following points are made:

·  Loss of continuity of care between your doctor and the dispensing service

·  The inconvenience of having to go from the Surgery to the pharmacist, particularly for medicines to be collected straight after a consultation with your doctor

·  There have been no formal complaints about the dispensary service provided by the Surgery and neither NHS England nor Somerset CCG have received a complaint about the absence of pharmaceutical services on Coleford.

·  In Coleford, L+F Jones Convenience Stores and Coleford Co-operative already sell a significant number of “over the counter” items which would be sold by a pharmacist and both shops have extended opening hours. Both stores offer other facilities including Post Office counter services and are opens 7 days a week, 7am to 9pm.

·  Probable reduction in the number of doctor and nurses appointments

·  The Surgery is open for much longer than the proposed pharmacy 8am to 6.30pm and 7am to 6.30pm on a Tuesday, and do not close for lunch.

·  Reduction in dispensing services available to our patients, such as the loss of the home delivery service and early morning and evening dispensing – after 5.30pm patients would have to travel to Frome/Radstock for their urgent medicines

Please feel free to add any other comments which you may have.

All correspondence should be headed: - Re: JL: Unicare Pharmacy Application and posted to: -

Joanne Lund. Market Entry Officer. PCSE Enquiries. PO Box 350. Darlington. DL 1 9QN.

Or email:

Please send a copy of your letter to our local Member of Parliament:

David Warburton MP. House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

Or via email:

Thank you for your support - Mendip Country Practice