Doctors fight green light for pharmacy

Mar 28 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

VILLAGE doctors who claim their Northumberland practice is at risk from moves to open a local pharmacy are fighting the decision to give the plan the green light.

Dr Chris Waite and his wife Dr Yvonne Lees – who run the 3,000-patient GP surgery in Widdrington Station near Morpeth – are appealing against the North of Tyne Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) approval of the pharmacy application.

The GPs claim that although the applicants, two men from Manchester, are making multiple applications to open pharmacies all over the country, they cannot take the chance that their village will not be one of those chosen.

Yesterday Dr Waite said he and his wife are preparing an appeal because they don’t feel the PCT panel took adequate account of the massive local opposition to the pharmacy proposal. Villagers raised a petition with 1,700 signatures opposing the plan.

At the same time, local campaigners are seeking a meeting with Health Secretary Alan Johnson to discuss the controversy, and make him aware of their concerns that the pharmacy could force the surgery’s closure.

Under NHS rules, if the proposed pharmacy opens in Widdrington Station, the GP practice will not be allowed to dispense drugs and medicines to anyone living within a mile of the surgery, which takes in all but 300 of its patients.

And because income from the dispensary is used to subsidise and support the surgery’s medical services, its closure would result in a reduced service to patients and possible closure in the future.

Dr Waite says the loss of income would lead to one doctor being laid off, along with five dispensary staff.

Yesterday he said: “We are preparing an appeal against the panel’s approval of the pharmacy application, even through we have been told that the two men involved have now made more than 400 applications for pharmacies nationally. I have no idea whether they plan to go ahead with one in Widdrington Station but we feel we must appeal anyway.

“We don’t believe the PCT took adequate account of the feelings of the local population who live within a mile of the surgery. They had written submissions from more than 50% of the population that they didn’t want this pharmacy to go ahead.

“These two men are making blanket applications for pharmacies all over the country and it is causing quite an uproar. We feel there is something wrong with the legislation when they can do this at virtually no cost to themselves but at enormous cost to the taxpayer and people affected.

“I am hoping they won’t want to open here and hopefully the local feeling will deter them from doing so. We feel the local stakeholders have been canvassed but not listened to. The situation here is that our dispensing service helps fund the excellent medical service we provide, and if we lose the dispensary then services to patients will definitely suffer.”

Local councillor Arnold Baker said: “I don’t feel the PCT has fully assessed the potential impact of this pharmacy on the community.”

The PCT says patients should not lose out if the pharmacy opens because the GP practice’s medical and dispensing services are paid for through separate funding streams. It claims the proposed pharmacy will benefit local people.