No need for new pharmacies, say NHS bosses

NHS bosses have said there is no need for more pharmacies in Surrey, despite calls for better access to services.

Almost 1,200 people have signed a petition calling for recognition of the need for a chemist in Thames Ditton's High Street after 19 pharmacies closed in the county between October 2022 and March 2024, according to county council documents.

A mother told a health and wellbeing board meeting that it was "unacceptable" that she had to walk for nearly an hour to collect medication for her sick child.

However, members of the board stuck to their conclusion that there were no gaps in chemist provisions.

Louis Hall, a public health consultant, told the meeting that while many people had challenges with accessing services, it was not unique to pharmacies.

"It is not so much a pharmacy issue necessary, but a health and care issue," he said.

Drafts of Surrey's Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment – a legal document which looks whether there are gaps in pharmacy provisions – found current provisions to be sufficient.

Research found it was acceptable for most people to be able to drive for 20 minutes to their nearest pharmacy, or walk between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the geography, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Julia Powell, chief executive of Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex, said: "Structural funding in community pharmacies is not sufficient to keep the number of pharmacies that we currently have open.

"That is why we are seeing a number of closures because they are trading at a loss."

The opening of new chemists could dilute funding and lead to more closures, officials explained.

They added that the council would continue to monitor if needs in Surrey change.

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