LloydsPharmacy’s former parent company Hallo Healthcare is “exiting the healthcare services sector”, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) yesterday (August 20) revealed.
It said that “pharmacists and their teams at 64 pharmacy sites operated by LP HCS Ltd”, which is one of the four healthcare-related entities still controlled by Hallo Healthcare, were yesterday “advised…of the intention for Hallo to exit this part of the pharmacy sector”.
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LP HCS Ltd’s sites operate in NHS hospitals, prisons, community health trusts and in the private sector, “predominantly” delivering outpatient department pharmacy services, according to the PDA.
“The decision sees Hallo Healthcare exiting the healthcare services sector”, the PDA added.
C+D approached Hallo Healthcare for comment.
“No job losses”
The union, which was “also notified by the company” of its decision to exit the sites, said that “it is expected to be several months before all such branch transfers are agreed and undertaken”.
It added that “the contracts to provide [outpatient pharmacy] services do change hands periodically”, some being operated by “pharmacy multiples and others operated by hospital-owned subsidiaries”.
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PDA union director Paul Day said that “each hospital or healthcare services site will still need a service, so it is hoped that we see no job losses in outpatients and that every pharmacist will be able to continue in their current role, albeit that their employer will change”.
“However, it can be that new employers try to use such transfers to change someone’s role or the terms of their employment,” he warned.
“The PDA will support members through this change,” he added.
Lloydspharmacy latest
Last month, Rowlands revealed that it will take over the running of five hospital pharmacies from Lloydspharmacy in December.
Also in July, C+D revealed that Victoria Steele would leave her role as LP HCS Ltd’s top pharmacist and the wider Hallo Healthcare Group (HHG) “this summer”.
And in May, a fourth community pharmacy premises was repossessed by bailiffs in connection with Lloydspharmacy’s liquidation.
Read more: Lloydspharmacy goes into liquidation with £293m owed to creditors
It comes after C+D exclusively revealed in November that Lloydspharmacy, which had been the second-largest community pharmacy multiple in the country, had exited the high street.
In January, it was revealed that the multiple entered into liquidation with almost £300 million owed to creditors.
And in April, C+D revealed that the former landlord of the head office of Lloydspharmacy’s holding company was owed nearly half-a-million pounds by the company.
