Sir Robert Buckland is calling on local residents to join him and support a bid for a new pharmacy in Old Town.
Sir Robert has been supporting residents ever since Boots in Wood Street announced that they were closing back in February of this year.
This was the second pharmacy to close in Old Town, with the Rowlands Pharmacy also closing in July of last year.
The closure of both pharmacies has left a significant gap in pharmaceutical services in Old Town.
Sir Robert was contacted by Mr Patel, who runs HG Hanks, back in January of this year regarding his interest in opening a pharmacy in the Old Town area following the closures.
HG Hanks is a local and well-established operator, who is already operating four pharmacies in the Swindon area, including Hawthorn Pharmacy, which has been serving Gorse Hill residents, as well as residents from across Swindon for the past 35 years.
Following this, Sir Robert wrote a letter of support for Mr Patel’s application.
The application by HG Hanks has since progressed and Mr Patel has received further support from Swindon Borough Council (Health and Wellbeing). Sir Robert has now written a further letter of support and is calling on local residents who would like to see a pharmacy return to Old Town to send their own email or letter of support.
Residents who been affected by the lack of pharmaceutical services in Old Town are being asked to email [email protected] with details about how they have been affected. For example, long waiting times/ queues, lack of medication, lack of availability for services when going in-store (Sore throat, Cough, etc), and journeys out of Old Town that they’ve had to make as a result.
Sir Robert has submitted his own letter of support (as below) this afternoon, on behalf of all the local residents who have been in touch with him to share their concerns:
To Whom It May Concern
Re: Further letter of support for HG Hanks – Mr Patel’s application to open a new Pharmacy in Old Town, Swindon.
I write in strong support of Mr Patel’s application to open a new pharmacy in the Coop in High Street, Old Town, here in Swindon South.
HG Hanks is a local and well-established operator, who is already operating four pharmacies in the Swindon area, including Hawthorn Pharmacy, which has been servicing not only Gorse Hill residents but residents from across Swindon for the past 35 years.
This letter of support follows my initial letter of support for Mr Patel’s application to the NHS Committee, which I wrote in my capacity as Member of Parliament for Swindon South back in January 2024.
My strong support followed the planned closure of Boots in Wood Street, Old Town, on 9th February 2024. This was the second pharmacy to close in Old Town, with the Rowlands Pharmacy also closing on July 31st 2023.
The closure of both pharmacies has left a significant gap in pharmaceutical services in Old Town.
Following the announcement of the closure of Boots in Old Town, as Member of Parliament for Swindon South at this time, I was inundated with emails, phone calls and letters from local residents, who were concerned about how they would access pharmaceutical services in the future and I shared those concerns.
For geographical purposes, I will explain that Old Town is situated at the top of a large and very steep hill. This makes having a pharmacy in the vicinity even more important, particularly for the most vulnerable and elderly residents, and those with mobility issues, who rely heavily upon the service.
The location of the proposed pharmacy is the site of the former Rowlands Pharmacy, which is situated inside a busy Cooperative supermarket, which serves the local community and is situated close to other local amenities. There are wide walkways and there is good disabled access. There is a free to use supermarket car park, and the number 11/12 bus stop is also located directly outside of the supermarket.
It is anticipated that around 7,500 local residents are likely to access the pharmaceutical services in the vicinity of the proposed location.
In conclusion, I remain strongly supportive of this application, from a skilled and well-established local provider, which will provide essential pharmaceutical services to thousands of local residents here in Swindon South.
Yours faithfully,
Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC
