A MALVERN pharmacy has issued an urgent plea for help after it was forced to temporarily close its doors unexpectedly again. 

Patients at the Peak Pharmacy at Prospect View Medical Centre said it was 'appalling service' after finding out it had closed on Saturday, October 7, despite it being scheduled to be open.  

Now the superintendent at Peak Pharmacy, Alison Crompton, said underfunding and a workforce crisis are leading to reduced hours and unplanned closures.

She called on the government to take action. 

The latest closure comes just weeks after patients claimed they struggled to get their prescriptions after discovering the pharmacy shut its doors without notice. 

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In this latest incident, a notice was put on the outer door to tell patients the pharmacy would be closed on Saturday and would not re-open until Monday. 

Prospect View Pharmacy on Pickersleigh Road is scheduled to be open between 9am and 1pm every Saturday. 

Following Saturday's closure, people took to Facebook to voice their frustrations. 

One described the service as 'appalling', while others said they are now going to use other pharmacies as they don't feel they can rely on the one at Prospect View. 

Superintendent Crompton claims the community pharmacy sector in England has had its funding slashed by 30 per cent in real terms since 2015, during which time operating costs have significantly increased.

She added: "Shortages of medicines and a well-recognised national workforce crisis are leading to difficulty in recruiting and retaining both pharmacists and qualified support staff.

"We apologise for any inconvenience to our patients. 

"We would like to highlight that these challenges are being faced by pharmacies up and down the country, leading to reduced hours and unplanned closures- it is not unique to Peak Pharmacy.
 
"Community Pharmacy is vastly underfunded, with no uplift in funding in the past nine years and significantly more work.
 
"We urgently need clarity on what funding improvements to the sector can be made by the Government. 

"This needs to be addressed collectively by MPs."

Dame Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, said if Peak Pharmacy wanted to get in touch with her to let her know the support they want she would raise it with the Health Secretary and the Integrated Care Board.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government inherited a broken NHS where pharmacies have been neglected for years.

“Pharmacies are key to making healthcare fit for the future as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community.

“We will make better use of their skills by increasing the number of pharmacists able to prescribe medication themselves."