CONCERNED residents are up in arms after it was revealed that a well-used pharmacy will merge into another - but its opening hours will drastically reduce by almost 30 hours a week.
Gatehouse Pharmacy, based on Long Croft, Mapplewell is used by hundreds of locals and is open seven days a week.
During the week it is open from 7am to 9pm and on Saturday it remains open until 8pm.
Locals regularly use the service after work due to its opening hours, but were this week told it is set to close in the new year and merge with Mapplewell Pharmacy, on Darton Lane.
The opening hours have been cut - with weekday openings of 8am to 6.30pm and from 9am to 12pm on Saturdays.
It will be closed on Sunday meaning the service will be cut by 29-and-a-half hours.
A letter sent to residents states: “We would like to inform you that Gatehouse Pharmacy will consolidate with Mapplewell Pharmacy at midnight on Thursday January 9.
“Therefore from January 10 onwards, the current pharmacy site at the building will be closed, we will move and be operating as Mapplewell Pharmacy at 393 Darton Lane, opposite the village hall thereafter.
“We will try our best to make this transition as smooth as possible.
“Unless you inform us and opted otherwise, the NHS will transfer your Pharmacy Nomination from Gatehouse Pharmacy to Mapplewell Pharmacy automatically on January 10 so you should not need to do anything other than collecting your medications from our new site thereafter.
“Any prescriptions ordered to be dispensed at Gatehouse Pharmacy before that date will be transferred to Mapplewell Pharmacy so you are still able to collect them as usual.
“Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.
“If you have any questions, please discuss it with a member of our staff.”
Locals have been angered by the news, and Darton East councillor Steve Hunt has called on the pharmacy to match its previous opening hours to support residents.
He told the Chronicle: “The closure of the Gatehouse Pharmacy is a major concern for our community.
“It has been a hugely important community asset for many years with extended weekday hours and weekend opening.
“The main concern is that the merged Mapplewell Pharmacy on Darton Lane will face a higher demand with reduced opening hours.
“The new government has talked about community pharmacies being an important part of the turnaround of the NHS.
“However, we are currently seeing pharmacies closing at an alarming rate across the country.
“This needs to be urgently investigated by MPs.
“I am calling on the Mapplewell Pharmacy to extend its operating hours to match what the Gatehouse have previously offered to this community.”
Dr David Crichton, chief medical officeer at NHS South Yorkshire, said: “H and K Healthcare Ltd applied to consolidate their Gatehouse and Mapplewell pharmacies into one location at Mapplewell.
“NHS South Yorkshire’s Pharmaceutical Services Regulations Committee carefully considered the potential impact of the application and noted that whilst the consolidation would result in a reduction of opening hours during evenings and weekends, it was concluded there would be no gap in pharmaceutical services provision, as other pharmacies in the local area cover evening and weekend services.”
