Queen’s funeral bank holiday: Boots, Lloydspharmacy, and Well closure plans
The three biggest UK pharmacy chains reveal whether their branches will remain open on September 19, the day of the Queen’s funeral – which was confirmed as a one-off UK bank holiday.
Lloydspharmacy has decided to close all of its branches next Monday in a “mark of respect”, and to give pharmacy teams a chance to “honour the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”, a spokesperson told C+D.
Meanwhile, Boots and Well Pharmacy will keep almost all of their branches closed, with a few expected to remain open according to local needs, spokespeople for the multiples confirmed.
Lloydspharmacy contacting patients
Lloydspharmacy is informing patients of the planned closures and will liaise with services such as the drug and alcohol support “to ensure a plan is in place to support our most vulnerable patients”.
Read more: Use ‘discretion’ when supplying opioid substitution therapy pre-bank holiday
“Anyone who has an appointment scheduled for Monday will be contacted to re-arrange for a suitable date and our teams are on hand to make sure that all patients have what they need for the bank holiday weekend,” the spokesperson added.
“We are advising our patients to check their medication to ensure they have sufficient supply,” they continued.
Patients should check relevant NHS websites for their nearest open pharmacy should they need “any urgent health advice or support on Monday”, the spokesperson added.
“Our thoughts and best wishes continue to be with the royal family at this sad time,” they said.
Boots: All branches to close during funeral
A Boots spokesperson told C+D that while most branches will be closed on Monday, a few will remain open to provide pharmacy services.
However, they will close during the hours of the funeral.
Read more: Will pharmacies have to stay open on the Queen's funeral bank holiday?
Well: Allowing staff to “pay respects”
Well Pharmacy superintendent pharmacist Ifti Khan confirmed that most branches would be closed on Monday “so that our staff can pay their respects”.
However, the multiple will open some branches “as directed by the NHS, to support local communities with medicine provision and health care advice”, he said.
A Well spokesperson said the multiple is not yet able to reveal the location of those branches.
Voices from across the pharmacy sector have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest reigning monarch, who served for 70 years – after Buckingham Palace confirmed she had “died peacefully” at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8.
