Request for opinion from Torbay’s Health and Wellbeing Board in regards to the closure of Lloyds Pharmacy Limited at Sainsbury’s, The Willows, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 7HT

As a consequence of a closure, Torbay’s Health and Wellbeing Board has been asked to consider whether the above closure would create a gap in pharmaceutical provision.

Background

Lloyds Pharmacy Limited operated the pharmacy at Sainsbury’s, The Willows, Torquay which will cease trading on 31 March 2023.

Considerations

In making this comment, Torbay’s Health and Wellbeing Board has considered the following factors:

  • Whether opening hours offered at nearby pharmacies are equivalent – there are five pharmacies within 1 mile of the closing pharmacy that between them cover all the opening hours.
  • Whether the services being provided at nearby pharmacies are equivalent – Pharmacies within 1 mile of the closing pharmacy that between them cover all of the services.
  • The estimated drive times and public transport to nearby pharmacies – not materially affected as there are five pharmacies within one mile of the closing pharmacy.

Comment

Torbay Health and Wellbeing Board is of the opinion that this closure does not create any gap in the provision of pharmaceutical services based on the considerations above.

The Health and Wellbeing Board does not have the professional expertise to consider the following factors:

  • The physical capacity of the nearby pharmacies to absorb any extra capacity required to maintain service delivery within the local area.
  • The technical or professional competence of the staff at nearby pharmacies to meet any increase in demand for services at nearby pharmacies.

Torbay Health and Wellbeing board has not been supplied with up to date pharmacy dispensing data which takes into account the effect of any pharmacy closures in Torbay that have already occurred in 2023. As a result the impact of these in relation to their effect (or not) on either of the following datasets within the Torbay PNA has not been considered:

  • The current number of pharmacies per 100,000 population in Torbay when compared to South West and national averages and whether any change is material.
  • The number of fees per resident population when compared to South West and national averages and whether any change is material.