A SECOND new business has applied for a licence to open a pharmacy in Wellington and has already secured premises for itself.

But, it is likely to suffer the same rejection as Orange Pharmacy earlier this year when NHS Somerset ruled Wellington already had enough pharmacies to cope.

NHS Somerset refused to accept Jhoots had closed even though it has not properly opened for several months, leaving only Boots and Superdrug providing a reliable service.

The new applicant, whose identity has not yet been revealed, is unlikely to hear a decision until next March.

An NHS Somerset spokesperson said the application would be processed under the relevant regulations.

They said: “These processes may take a few months due to the regulatory requirements.

“The earliest the application will be considered by NHS Somerset is February, 2026.

“Any decisions are subject to appeal, which can further delay the final outcome.

“If an application is approved, the applicant has up to 12 months, with a possible three-month extension, if agreed, to confirm it has opened, though many pharmacies will open sooner.

“We will continue to work with other local pharmacy services to ensure there is a stable and reliable service in the area.”

Orange wanted to use premises vacated by Boots on the Wellington Medical Centre site, although since then the building has started to be used to help cope with extra patients caused by the closure of the town’s Luson GP surgery.

The spokesperson said pharmacy regulations set out how businesses can apply to open a new pharmacy.

The law also set out the tests which NHS Somerset, as an integrated care board, must apply to determine if the application should be granted.

The spokesperson said: “It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide evidence that their application meets the relevant regulatory tests.

“Community pharmacies play a vital role in supporting people’s access to medicines and healthcare advice in their local community for over 40 minor conditions from coughs and ear conditions to aches and pains, and advice and prescriptions for seven common conditions through Pharmacy First.”

Only this week Somerset’s director of pubic health Alison Bell defended the decision to refuse a licence to Orange on the grounds that national guidelines indicated there was ‘adequate’ pharmacy provision in Wellington.

Ms Bell was speaking after a challenge by retired college lecturer Roger Tozer, who has compiled a 17-page legal argument to show NHS Somerset’s pharmaceutical needs assessment had been out of date before it was adopted.

Mr Tozer said the shortage of pharmacies in Wellington represented a ‘public safety risk’ which endangered people.

He has since taken his complaint to the health service Ombudsman.

NHS Somerset said if a patient was running low on their prescribed medication and was not able to access their medicines through their usual pharmacy, there were two options available: