MP thanks and praises pharmacy teams 

The Father of the House of Commons and MP for Worthing West has praised local community pharmacy teams for their “hugely valuable and impressive” response to the Covid-19 pandemic following a site visit to a pharmacy in the heart of his constituency.

Sir Peter Bottomley MP called-in to Worthing Superdrug on Friday 14 May to hear how pharmacy staff have ensured patients have had access to the medicines and healthcare advice that they needed over the last 15 months and worked as an important part of the NHS family.

Sir Peter heard how pharmacy staff had helped keep communities and residents safe over the last 15 months (Pic: Worthing Superdrug)

He said: “My thanks to all community pharmacy staff across Worthing for everything you have done and continue to do throughout the pandemic.

We are fortunate to have such amazing commitment and dedication in the town.”

Pharmacist Yola Barnard told Sir Peter that: “Pharmacy medicines deliveries had been made available to clinically vulnerable people who were advised to shield and are now available to the end of June to those who have been told to isolate by Test and Trace.

“The importance of this simple service cannot be underestimated in how it helped keep communities and residents safe.” She added, explaining that pharmacy teams had remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to offer face-to-face advice and health care on a walk-in basis, despite staffing shortages from some staff becoming ill or needing to self-isolate.

Sir Peter Bottomley MP in conversation with pharmacists Yola Barnard and Rupi Bhasin (Pic: Worthing Superdrug)

Sir Peter also heard that in January, Superdrug was one of the very  first community pharmacies in England to assist the Government’s ambitious vaccination programme, and while the Worthing team has been unable to offer vaccinations from their premises they have still managed to contribute to this valuable service.

Rupi Bhasin, regional manager for Superdrug, said: “Staff across Sussex and Surrey, like Worthing pharmacy dispenser Nikki Hall, had been trained to be vaccinators and had contributed elsewhere at other community pharmacy-led vaccination sites.

“People have been responding quickly when invited by the NHS central booking system, and have been very grateful when they receive the vaccine.”

More information

• Community Pharmacies have supported the UK’s COVID-19 response as a very important part of the NHS family – the most accessible healthcare providers, offering healthcare advice and NHS services on a walk-in basis.

Working at the heart of their communities, pharmacists and their teams ensured patients had access to the medicines and healthcare that they needed, made their premises COVID-safe for their staff and everyone visiting them, and stood-forward to provide vital vaccinations such as flu and COVID-19 to help meet Government immunisation targets.

But more than that, they maintained their responsibilities as local healthy living hubs to promote health, wellbeing and self-care, and provided services to prevent ill-health close to people’s homes.

• Worthing has 23 NHS community pharmacies.

For more information contact: LPC@communitypharmacyss.co.uk