AN audit of pharmacy services in Wellington is being carried out by supporters of an action group set up to campaign for the restoration of four pharmacies in the town.

Wellington Pharmacy Action Group, run by retired college lecturer Roger Tozer, is asking people to record online their experiences as he prepares a dossier for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

The action group wants to see Wellington served by four pharmacies as it was before Boots closed its service at Wellington Medical Centre and Jhoots effectively shut its branch long before the Luson GP surgery closed, leaving just Superdrug and Boots in the town centre.

But, NHS Somerset has insisted the two remaining pharmacies provided an adequate service for patients, despite the many complaints about people facing lengthy queues to collect prescriptions and other medication.

Last year, it refused to grant a licence for Orange Pharmacy to take over the medical centre premises vacated by Boots.

Mr Tozer said: “The authorities are hiding behind a ‘broken book’.

“Their official assessment is a copy-paste of 2022 data that ignores 2,000 new homes and lists closed pharmacies as open.

“We are collecting our own evidence to prove to the Ombudsman that Wellington is being gaslit by paperwork.”

Now Mr Tozer, is calling on residents to provide ‘verifiable testimony’ via an online survey to support a formal complaint to the Ombudsman.

He said: “This survey is being conducted to gather factual, current evidence of the impact of local pharmacy closures and service deficiencies on residents.”

MP Gideon Amos, who is a member of the group, has raised the issue in Parliament with a question to Care Minister Stephen Kinnock.

Since the audit began, NHS Somerset has confirmed that Allied Pharmacies has acquired the Jhoots branch in Wellington and planned to reopen the phamacy.