Liverpool Council is to look at how it manages responses to major healthcare changes amid a bid to consolidate pharmacy services in L8.
Residents and patients were delighted when NHS England confirmed it would not accept proposals by Rowlands Pharmacy to close its existing provision and merge it into one singular site on The Elms. As part of the application they had asked that no other pharmacy could open in its place.
Health chiefs said the consolidation of services were rejected as they felt Rowlands had not “considered the impact this application would have on the health inequalities of local residents.”
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Now Liverpool’s health and wellbeing board is to look at how it responds to major challenges like merging of pharmacy services. The move has been prompted by the attempts to close Lodge Lane and an expected increase in similar service change applications in future.
Currently, director of public health Prof Matthew Ashton would lead the city’s response to applications like Lodge Lane but stressed a desire for the board to be “clearer.” In the case of Rowlands in L8, the board said the closure “would not create a gap in pharmaceutical services” but it acknowledged “the strong opposition to the consolidation from local elected members and the voluntary sector, and would expect due consideration be given to their views.”
Amid the proposed changes, members of the board agreed “nobody in this room wants pharmacies to close.” Cllr Liam Robinson, chair of the board and leader of Liverpool Council, said he hoped in future to “build up the process” so elected members could respond to major healthcare events and these would inform how a response came back.
Dr Janet Bliss was much firmer in her view. She said: “I find it hard to see why we would support these given they only protect the business and don’t consider the needs of the community.”
First reported in Chemist and Druggist, Rowlands is said to be “considering its next steps” after its plans for Liverpool 8 were rejected. The trade title reported the pharmacy group was “disappointed” with the decision having been confident its proposal would have allowed it to “continue to meet local needs.”
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