A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save a vital village amenity at West Wellow.

Parish council chiefs and villagers have joined the fight to keep Wellow Pharmacy open.

It is feared that the pharmacy, run by Arun Sharma, could close because of National Health Service cuts.

Mr Sharma relies on cash from the NHS Essential Small Pharmacies (ESP) scheme which is being axed at the end of the month.

The present scheme was set up to help small pharmacies which dispense fewer than 26,400 prescriptions a year by topping up their income by up to £4,130 a month.

It is being replaced by Local Pharmaceutical Services contracts.

Mr Sharma said his business, which opened in Lower Common Road, in 1990, was entering the unknown It could remain as an NHS chemist without additional funding or he could win one of the new local Pharmaceutical Services contract.

He has put a bid in for a contract but NHS England has yet to make a decision on whether to offer him one and it could be the autumn before he gets an answer.

“We are the only medical service in Wellow and people rely on us,” said Mr Sharma.

“Basically we are a walk-in clinic and people come into for advice as well as prescriptions. We have had lot of support from people in Wellow who don’t want to see the pharmacy close and the parish council has been fantastic.”

“I don’t know yet what we are going to do at the month when the Essential Small Pharmacies funding arrangements stop,” he said.

Mr Sharma, who has a chain of six pharmacies in the Southampton area, said that he had to produce a patient survey for the NHS showing people’s expectations of the business in Wellow.

His adviser, Nick Ford, a director of Camford Consultants which specialises in pharmacy contracts , said villagers would have to travel miles to the nearest chemist if the Wellow shop goes.

“Wellow pharmacy operates a free prescription collection and delivery service for all patients using GP surgeries in Romsey and Totton which saves multiple journeys and stress to the patient,” said Mr Ford.

He said the NHS  should put financial measures in place to support small rural pharmacies while new contracts were being decided.  

“Some area teams of NHS England are being supportive towards their ESPs by offering them development grants to help keep them afloat over this period, but the local area team here Wessex, is maintaining an unhelpful silence on the matter,” said Mr Ford.

Wellow Parish Council clerk Mrs Lorraine Wheeler said the grass roots authority has sent a letter to NHS England supporting Mr Sharma . 

“In addition an item highlighting the threat of closure has been added to the parish website welcome page where a questionnaire can be downloaded and returned to the pharmacy and questionnaires are available at the pharmacy for customers to complete,” said the clerk.

An NHS England spokesperson said that it could not comment on individual cases but  said the ending of the ESP scheme did not necessarily  mean that pharmacies would have to close.

“Regional teams are considering where support will be needed when the scheme ends in April, and to reduce any impact on affected communities.  NHS England (Wessex) is working with pharmacy providers, and is awaiting further detail to assist the application process in support of maintaining the services provided. We look forward to receiving the additional details required,” she said.