URGENT HELP REQUESTED
PHARMACY APPLICATION FOR COLEFORD
Mendip Country Practice has been notified that NHS England has received athird application, this time from Prasant Mandaharto set up a new Pharmacy in Coleford. If the application is approved we will no longer be able to dispense to our patients living less than 1 mile (as the crow flies) 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 surgery already has a visiting prescribing pharmacist, Professor Marjorie Weiss, working with us & we are considering expanding this.
The proposed Pharmacy has stated that their core opening hours would be between 9am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 9am to 3.00pm. The Surgery is open 8am to 6.30pm and on Tuesdays 7am to 6.30pm, including the dispensary and does not close for lunch. Prasant Mandahar has stated they will provide additional services, although not appliances review. A home delivery service will be provided if a patient requests. Mendip Country Practice provide a regular free twice weekly delivery service.
We are contesting this application vigorously because we believe that it would result in an overall 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 object to the application before 28th August2016 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 and are open 7 days a week, 7am to 9pm. L & F Jones Convenient Stores include Post Office counter services
- 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 direct from the surgery and early morning collection available Tuesday from 7am.
Please feel free to add any other comments which you may have.
All correspondence should be headed: -
Re: Prasant Mandahar Pharmacy Application -Ref CAS -13732-Y4L5G7and posted to: -
Nicholas Speight Market Entry Officer. PCSE Enquiries. PO Box 350. Darlington. DL 1 9QN.
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