Hearing held over new village pharmacy bid in Middleton

Lloyds Pharmacy and Waremoss Ltd, which trades as Kamsons Pharmacy, want to open branches to fill the void left by the closure of the area's well-established pharmacy last year.

The hearing concerned the appeals by both firms against an initial refusal to allow them to provide the service to residents.

Lloyds wishes to open in the parade of shops opposite Elmer Beach Stores. Kamsons' preferred location is close to the Middleton Medical Centre, next to Shrubbs car park.

The result of their appeals to the West Sussex Primary Care Trust pharmacy committee will be known by the end of June.

Middleton had a pharmacy for decades. It was eventually bought by Rowlands Pharmacy, which twice applied to the committee to retain it and open another pharmacy at Flansham Park Health Centre just over the Felpham boundary.

The first application '“ in September 2005 '“ and the appeal the following April were both refused by the committee on the grounds 'it was neither necessary or desirable'.

A further bid throughout 2006 failed as well. But the primary care trust approved Rowlands' transfer from Middleton Pharmacy to the health centre in November 2006.

An appeal by another pharmacy in Felpham against the move prompted a further hearing in April, 2007.

This ruled in favour of Rowlands. The move went ahead to leave Middleton's residents without a pharmacy.

In a bid to overturn that situation, Middleton Parish Council clerk David Allsopp and a district councillor, Barbara Oakley, gave evidence to the latest appeal hearing last week for at least one new pharmacy in Middleton.

They cited the many people who had been severely disadvantaged since the closure of Middleton Pharmacy.

These included the elderly, infirm and those who lived to the east of Yapton Road.

Many local people had previously written to the trust in support of the extra pharmacies and stating their concern at the lack of a local pharmacy.

Middleton-on-Sea Association, represented by its chairman Margaret Martin and Dr John Bradshaw, also spoke at the hearing in favour of the Kamsons Pharmacy application.

The hearing lasted more than three-and-a-half hours at the trust's offices in College Lane, Chichester.

A three-strong panel, chaired by Alan Tomlinson, considered the appeals.

They will send their response to the NHS Litigation Authority by mid-June. It will issue the final decision.

As well as the representations made by Lloyds and Waremoss, Rowlands Pharmacy representative Ian Cowan and Kevin Hurrell, of Alliance Pharmacy, spoke against permiting any extra pharmacies in Middleton.

Mr Cowan maintained the level of service offered at the Flansham Park pharmacy was good and sought to dismiss the many letters submitted which questioned the adequacy of the service.

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