Rural community is being short-changed

2:52pm Friday 1st February 2008

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THE new pharmacy in Lane End has provoked a flurry of correspondence in the last few weeks.

Some is from patients of the practice whose future is threatened by the Bucks Primary Care Trust's decision to allow the pharmacy to open across the road from the existing dispensary.

Other local residents have written in support of the decision citing improved local facilities' and freedom of choice' as their reasons.

Close inspection of the letters from the latter group published in the BFP since this process started in May 2006 reveals that the champions of the new pharmacy are, with only two exceptions - what a surprise - pharmacists, one of whom is now employed by the new pharmacy, as is his daughter.

The two exceptions are the owner of the pharmacy, Olivier Picard, and a lady who lives in Prestwood and whose access to medical care will be unaffected.

Furthermore, I would be very surprised if any of these local' pharmacists are patients of the practice that is to lose its right to dispense.

The letters opposing the decision have all been from patients (including an eminent local member of the judiciary) alarmed to learn that, given that the income derived from the practice's dispensary is a key element of the continuing sustainability of this rural practice, the villagers of Lane End could soon be obliged to travel to Stokenchurch or Wycombe practices for their medical care. At best those 4,600 patients will be offered a much-reduced service.

The local NHS trust should be supporting smaller medical practices and not making life difficult for them.

But surely, the apologists cry, it is wonderful to have access to all those other commodities a pharmacy can offer? Maybe, but would the pharmacy have opened without the dispensing rights? The answer is "No!" Why? Because it wouldn't be viable, any more than my doctors' practice will be now.

Yes, my family and I have been patients of this excellent practice for 20 odd years. Because I live more than a mile from the surgery I can continue to get my prescriptions from the surgery (as long as it remains open). The majority of Lane End residents will not be able to - and the logic of that defeats me. Perhaps someone can explain?

Once again the rural community is being short changed.