Dallat slams pharmacy cuts

These are the views of East Derry SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat who has met a number of pharmacies in the Limavady and Coleraine areas who are concerned that they will not be able to deliver the current services available.

He said: “Ironically these cuts will increase demand on GPs and hospitals eliminating any perceived savings which might conceivably arise out of these madcap decisions.

“Ultimately the cuts will put undue pressure on rural pharmacies and could led to the closure of those in smaller towns and villages. Mr Dallat added:

“Today community pharmacy provides a valuable service to people in every part of the North irrespective of whether those areas are affluent or deprived, rural or urban. The proposed cuts will begin a process which can only be bad news for everyone and must be resisted.

“These pharmacy cuts should be halted before it is too late.”

; and until we hve a clear understanding of what the impact on patients and our communities will be, and agree a way forward that will allow the on-going provision of efficient and effective pharmacy services.

“In the meantime I will continue to listen to pharmacies and the local communities which will bear the brunt of these misguided and ill-judged plans to decimate our pharmacy services across the board.”