Patients must use pharmacy

A new pharmacy at Navenby is affecting jobs and opening hours at two doctors’ surgeries, according to the practice manager.

The Medicines Plus Pharmacy opened earlier this month, and it means, under Department of Health rules, villagers who live within 1.6km of the pharmacy must get their prescriptions there.

They should no longer get medicines dispensed at Navenby’s doctors’ surgery, on North Lane, as had previously been the case.

The surgery, one of two that form the Cliff Villages Medical Practices, which also have a practice on Mere Road, Waddington, has six months to make the transition.

The practice manager, Mrs Allison Cook, said: “We will lose around 2,000 patients who previously were able to use the dispensary.”

A similar situation occurred in Waddington, when a new pharmacy opened there.

Mrs Cook, said: “We were affected when a pharmacy opened in Waddington and now one has opened in Navenby we are going to struggle.”

The Navenby surgery is moving into a new building with better facilities in January.

“We will have a new building but we won’t be able to keep it open full-time,” she said.

“At this stage we may have to reduce the days we are open to four days a week.”

In a letter to patients, Mrs Cook said they would still have the same access to doctors but at either Navenby or Waddington, not both.

“We have no option but to cut our overheads,” Mrs Cook said.

“This inevitably means we will have to cut staffing.”

Mrs Cook said the Navenby surgery would be closed on Monday afternoons with immediate effect.

The owner of Medicines Plus Pharmacy, Navenby, Mrs Jo West, said having a pharmacy in the village was good news for patients.

“The pharmacy staff are keen to work with the medical practice to ensure patients have a smooth transition over the next six months, and are keen to talk to patients to discuss their specific issues and requirements,” she said.