The campaign launched in July last year amid growing concerns that the town does not have sufficient pharmacy resources to meet demand following recent closures.
The petition, which has received almost 600 signatures to date, said that “Glastonbury has an urgent need for a pharmacy on the high street that can be easily accessed by both residents and visitors”.
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According to the petition, Glastonbury’s only pharmacy is currently a Well Pharmacy on Feversham Lane, which previously operated as Knights Pharmacy before Well acquired almost 50 branches from the chain last year.
It said that Glastonbury has been left with just one pharmacy since October last year, when the town’s Boots store shuttered as part of nationwide closures “hot on the heels” of the closure of the town’s Tesco pharmacy branch last year.
“Significant benefit”
In an email shared by the campaign, the NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB) said in January that the South West Pharmaceutical Services Regulatory Committee (SW PSRC) was “satisfied” that a new pharmacy would be of “significant benefit” to the town.
It granted the application in January, but an NHS Resolutions spokesperson yesterday (June 4) confirmed to C+Dthat it has since received an appeal on the decision.
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The matter will be considered in a meeting on June 17, with a decision to be communicated to interested parties “approximately four weeks later”, they said.
The outcome will subsequently be published in “early August”, they added.
However, they declined to identify who had filed the appeal.
“Heavy workload”
Meanwhile, the petition said that the remaining pharmacy has been “experiencing issues” as a result of a “heavy workload”.
“It is unlikely to be able to cope on its own to serve the whole of the town and the town’s many visitors,” she said.
A spokesperson for Well Pharmacy yesterday confirmed that the store has “indeed experienced an increase in demand” for its services as a result of the closures.
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They added that the multiple “understands the concerns raised by the community” and is exploring ways to improve efficiency and service “to meet the growing needs of patients” and “deliver the level of patient care [it aspires] to”.
The ICB told C+D today (June 5) that it is remaining “in contact with Well to discuss how it is coping and what actions it is taking to meet any additional demand”.
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It comes as the town is set to face increased footfall during the Glastonbury Festival, which draws around 200,000 people and will take place later this month from June 26 to June 30.
According to the festival’s website, two “dispensing/retail pharmacies” are available on-site.
