Boots has been accused of failing to maintain pharmacy service guarantees

The allegation comes as Warminster Town Council and the town’s MP Dr Andrew Murrison petition the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Wiltshire for a third chemist to be licensed to operate in the town.

They called on the ICB to intervene to resolve the current situation of people queuing for hours to get the medicines they need, and to take immediate steps to find another pharmacy/pharmacist to meet the unquestionable local need.

They say the need is urgent, especially as up to 2,000 new homes are set to be built in Warminster by 2026 as part of the West Warminster Urban Expansion.

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Boots UK CEO Sebastian James said the Market Place pharmacy had made changes to improve its service. (Image: Boots UK)

City council secretary Tom Dommett also wrote to Boots UK chief executive Sebastian James to complain about inadequate service at its remaining Market Place store.

The letter said: “It is strongly felt that the incentives given at the time of the closure of the pharmacy near The Avenue have not been kept.

“The experience of councilors and the public is that people spend a lot of time queuing for instructions.

“The councilors are also worried about the huge evidence that people were queuing up to get; the prescription has not been prepared, the prescription is ready but there is no pharmacist, or the pharmacist was there but the medicine was not there.”

Cllr Steve Jeffries

said: “For people with mobility issues, it is not acceptable for them to stand in queues for an hour or more just to pick up their orders, especially where other providers have interest in opening an additional pharmacy.”

Dave Reeves, Health & Wellbeing secretary for Warminster, said: “I’m not surprised they couldn’t cope but I’m disappointed.”

Boots closed its pharmacy next to The Avenue GP surgery in October last year. Photo: Trevor Porter 70185-2 (Photo: Trevor Porter)

Avenue Pharmacy handles more than 9,000 prescriptions – far more than Boots’ Market Place store or Bestway Group’s Well Pharmacy in Cornmarket.

The two remaining pharmacies have been overwhelmed by patients trying to collect prescriptions and new medications, with patients sometimes waiting in lines for more than two hours.

Responding, Mr James said: “We are sorry to hear that local residents have been disappointed with their experience at our Market Place pharmacy in recent months.

“We acknowledge that there has been disruption following the consolidation of our Warminster store operations in October with the closure of the Avenue Surgery pharmacy.

“Customer lines and wait times were temporarily affected as the Market Place store accommodated new patients and updated its systems to meet their prescription needs.

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“The local team has worked hard to provide a better customer experience. Staffing levels have increased and this has helped the store to manage queues, reduce waiting times and improve the availability of medicines and prepare for repeat orders. the doctor.

“Frequent visits have been made by senior pharmacy leaders in the region to strengthen operational efficiency and support the store in managing its work. We have also changed delivery methods to increase efficiency and transform the pharmacy to improve the working environment and customer waiting area.”

He continued: “We continue to review and adjust the store’s layout to support queue management and help customers access health services faster.

“Indeed, we are confident that these operational changes help the pharmacy manage high demand and improve prescription response, and the store has reported improved levels of service and shorter turnaround times. of waiting in recent weeks.

“We are also in contact with local GPs to discuss how we can coordinate and improve our support for patients, including opening hours.”