Lloyds Pharmacy closing all Sainsbury’s branches

Which? 

Following news reports of Lloyds Pharmacy closing all of its Sainsbury’s branches this week, we have issued the following statement.

Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said:

“These closures are deeply worrying and one of the clearest signals yet of just how much community pharmacies are struggling to make ends meet. Pharmacies are being chronically underfunded, with funding for community pharmacies being cut by 30% over the past seven years in real terms: combined with escalating costs, this has led to more extreme pressures on pharmacies than ever before. We know that many are at breaking point and this needs to be remedied immediately to protect access to pharmacy services.

When any pharmacy closes the impact on patients and local communities can be devastating. Other pharmacies locally will be braced for even more pressures as they try to cope with the increased demand and extra patients – but in their current fragile state, some pharmacies may simply not be able to cope with this. Other local health services may also see an increase in demand for help. We urgently need a funding uplift for pharmacies before it is too late for even more patients.”