Staff shortages blamed for St John's Chapel dispensary closure

Patients using the service in St John’s Chapel, in Upper Weardale, will have to travel up to 22 miles for their prescriptions when it shuts on Friday, October 27.

The Weardale Practice, which runs the service, said a lack of qualified dispensers was the reason for the closure.

It is understood Upper Weardale residents will no longer be able to pick up repeat prescriptions or medicines prescribed during appointments at the surgery.

Instead they will have to elect an alternative pharmacy, the nearest of which is in Stanhope - a 14 mile round trip - or use a delivery service which comes with a charge.

Vicky Watson, managing partner of The Weardale Practice, said two qualified dispensers are required at all times.

“At St John’s Chapel, we need two qualified dispensers to provide a clinically safe dispensing service,” she said.

“Since December, we have had only one trained dispenser at the practice, and despite advertising, have been unable to recruit another.

“We have been able to keep the service running only by using a dispenser from another organisation. We have also been training practice staff to fill this gap internally. However, dispensing training takes 18 months and we have trained and lost four dispensers in the last three years.

“Due to another staff member moving on, we are currently left with no trained dispensers at the practice. This means we now have no choice but to close the dispensary at St John’s Chapel surgery as we are no longer able to safely dispense medication to our patients.

“The partners at The Weardale Practice are sorry for the distress and inconvenience that closing the service will cause.”

County councillor John Shuttleworth said: “I don’t accept this reason, they are just making excuses. I have requested meetings with them to discuss this and they have not got back to me.

“Where there is a will, there is a way I have been meeting with residents and they are upset and furious.”