As Lloyds pharmacies disappear from Sainsbury's across the country, Gateshead health officials expressed concern over the impact such closures will have throughout the borough.
Councillors and health officials in Gateshead received a report detailing the impact of the closure of the Lloyds pharmacy inside Sainsbury's in the Team Valley trading estate. Health chiefs were particularly concerned about the impact the closure will have on weekend and evening dispensing.
A council report states: "The impact of the closure of this pharmacy is likely to be noticed in terms of access to pharmacies in the evening and weekends, in particular on Sundays where there will only be six pharmacies open across the Gateshead area although the existing 100-hour pharmacy is in the South locality (Durham Road, Birtley).
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According to NHS England, they have worked with the pharmacy to ensure patients and care homes have been informed and have ensured all patients with prescriptions awaiting collection have been contacted. In some cases, prescriptions have been delivered to patients' homes.
Lloyds Pharmacy announced in January this year, their plans to close 237 locations within Sainsbury's supermarkets across the UK.
Director of Public Health for Gateshead, Alice Wiseman, said: "I think we were already concerned about the availability out of hours, so the fact we have lost this as well I think adds to that".
Chair of the Gateshead Council's health and wellbeing committee, coun Lynn Caffrey said: "I think it is a real concern for us. Part of the concern is it is allowing one particular provider to gain a stranglehold on community pharmacies, and they are one of the most expensive places for non-prescription items. I think this will have a real effect on the people of Gateshead."
Concerns were also raised regarding the potential pressure the closure will have on primary and secondary care in Gateshead. In an attempt to reduce pressure on frontline services, it has become increasingly common to ask people to go to their pharmacies for minor medical complaints.
However, health bosses at Gateshead Council claimed such closures may begin to impact primary and secondary care facilities.
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