Beaminster pharmacy in dire straits over lack of funding

Mike Hewitson is the owner of Beaminster Pharmacy on Hogshill.

The town has had a pharmacy since 1790 but rising costs and a lack of funding have forced Mr Hewitson to consider drastic changes to try and keep the doors open.

A reduction in funding from the Government coupled with a rise in the national living wage has left Mr Hewitson and his business in dire straits, using money from his own pocket just to keep the lights on.

The pharmacy has been able to stay open largely due to a huge number of Covid-19 vaccines which they have administered to over 30,000 people from across Dorset and Somerset.

Mr Hewitson said: "It has been a decade of flat funding.

“We have had to absorb the national living wage rise and the money which the NHS provides is less than the costs to run the service.

“We have been here for 234 years and we want to be here for the future.

“Over the past two years, we have administered over 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines and that was the only thing keeping the lights on.

Beaminster Pharmacy on Hogshill has served the town for over 200 years (Image: Tom Lawrence)

“The money is so tight we now have to think about what changes we can introduce to try and break even. We don’t want to do that because we know our patients are struggling at the moment.

“On December 19, the Government announced a further reduction in funding which will cost us around £3,000 a month, the national living wage increase already has cost us £2,000 a month.

“In order for us just to stand still I need to find £5,000 a month and we are already making a loss."

Mr Hewitson also owns Abbey Pharmacy in Sherborne and employs 25 staff members across the two businesses.

The tough financial situation has forced him to consider making tough decisions about whether staff can stay on their current hours.

He added: “We are going to have to think of something to try and make up the money, whether that is reducing hours or having to cut staff.

“Across the country, pharmacists are not paying themselves, or re-mortgaging their houses, it is not just us.

“The only people who can solve this are the NHS and the Government, the local NHS needs to look at how they can support the pharmacy network.

“I have worked at times without paying myself, which has caused stress and strain on my own household finances.

“My wife and I were watching Mr Bates vs The Post Office and seeing the effect it had on the families and we were saying that is so similar to how pharmacies are feeling.

“A large organisation, in this case the NHS doesn’t understand the human misery as a result of their actions."

Mr Hewitson has urged customers to continue supporting the pharmacy as it is not due to close.

He said he will keep fighting to keep the lights on and the doors open to provide medicines for the town and its surrounding areas.

"There needs to be urgent investment in pharmacy infrastructure, because if patients cannot get their medicines then ultimately nothing you do with the NHS really matters."

"Beaminster Pharmacy has looked after this community for 234 years, and I hope will look after it for another 234 years.

"We will have to introduce new charges and cut services, please understand that this is something that we don't want to do, but we no longer have any choice."

A spokesperson for NHS Dorset said:" We recognise that the current economic climate is challenging for many businesses. 

"We are sorry to hear that a contractor in our area is experiencing these challenges acutely.

"We are happy to work with pharmacy contractors to understand if there are any opportunities within the existing contractual framework to help to relieve pressure, although recognise that contractors in this position will already be working with their professional body to develop a plan to manage the position."