WELLINGTON MP Gideon Amos paid tribute to pharmacy campaigners in the town as he told a debate in Parliament that communities should not have to “rise up against the challenges and rules of the NHS to get or restore pharmacy provision.”

The MP’s comments came in a Westminster Hall debate secured by fellow Liberal Democrat MP Rachel Gilmour on the topic of community pharmacies.

He said: “Boots pharmacy in the medical centre closed, followed by Jhoots in September, leaving its staff in the parlous state that my hon. Friend referred to earlier.

“That left only two pharmacies, Superdrug and Boots, for a town of 17,000 residents. Queues that were 15-people deep formed, medicines were not ordered in time and patients became anxious.

“I challenged the decision of the NHS to refuse to support the opening of another pharmacy.

“The pharmaceutical needs assessment seems to be fundamentally flawed. How could it be prepared at a time when the town had four pharmacies, but also apparently demonstrate that two pharmacies were enough and no more needed to be opened?

“Wellington is a textbook case of a town where housing growth is outrunning the provision of infrastructure. Essential services should be built in from the start, not promised after the fact, and definitely not reduced by half, from four pharmacies to two.”

The debate comes after the Government announced it is investing £340 million in its Pharmacy First scheme which allows pharmacists in England to hand out medication for eye, ear, oral, dental, and digestive issues, allowing them to prescribe more medications than ever from the autumn.

Speaking after the debate Mr Amos added: “Whilst we have seen the situation in Wellington improve it should not have required so much pressure from the Wellington Pharmacy Action Group, Wellington Town Council and myself to restore pharmacy services.”