Residents gather to discuss Tiverton pharmacy concerns

On Friday 9th January, Rachel Gilmour MP joined local stakeholders and residents in Tiverton Town Hall to discuss the future of pharmacy provision in the town.

The meeting, organised by Tiverton Town Council following a motion brought forward by councillor Beckett Fish, featured statements from the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, Clare House Surgery, Tiverton Pharmacy, as well as local people.

On the night, a panel consisting of Rachel Gilmour MP, councillor Beckett Fish, as well as chair and county councillor Steve Lodge, heard how residents in Tiverton had been experiencing ongoing and increasing difficulties accessing vital pharmacy services. The panel also heard how staffing and medicine shortages had caused disruption and frustration within the Tiverton community.

In a document provided by NHS Devon ICB, “two of the four contracted pharmacy sites in Tiverton have now entered administration”. Up until this week, there has been two providers operating in Tiverton – the branch of Boots and the pharmacy at the Tiverton & District Hospital site.

On Monday (12th January), the new Allied Pharmacy site in Market Walk opened following their acquisition of the premises from Jhoots in December 2025. Mrs Gilmour said that she was “hopeful” that the opening of the new site would ease current pressures, continuing by stating that her “office would look at the possibility of other potential sites for new pharmacies in the town”.

Despite the problems locally, pharmacy provision is very much a national issue. According to National Pharmacy Association (NPA), up to 63% of pharmacies believe they may close within the next year without more support. Data from Healthwatch England reveals that in 2023 alone, there were 436 permanent closures of pharmacies in England and over 13,800 instances of temporary closures.

Yesterday (13th January), Rachel Gilmour MP wrote to the Minister for Health and Social Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, requesting a meeting to review the outcomes of the meeting at Tiverton Town Hall.

Rachel Gilmour MP outlined the outcomes from the meeting:  “I would like to thank everyone who came along to the meeting last week and shared their experiences and concerns. I now have more information available to me to be better placed to hold local pharmacy companies, the NHS Devon ICB, and the Government to account.

Services must improve. Pharmacy staff at Tiverton Pharmacy and at Boots are working incredibly hard under such pressure. Whilst the new Allied Pharmacy site in Tiverton is a step in the right direction, more needs to be done to improve local services.

Yesterday, I wrote to the Minister requesting a meeting to discuss the takeaways from this important meeting. It is clear there is a cross-party consensus and desire for pharmacy provision to be improved, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this happens.”

Kathy Atkinson, Clerk at Tiverton Town Council, said: “On behalf of Tiverton Town Council, I would like to thank all the members of public who attended the meeting, or who sent queries and statements to be read by the chair.

The contributions we received were invaluable and helped to highlight the importance of accessible local pharmacy services to the community.

We will follow up on the matters discussed and provide further updates over the coming week.”

Steve Lodge, Devon County Councillor for Tiverton West, said: “Pharmacy provision in Tiverton is a matter of real importance to local residents. Holding a public meeting allowed us not only to hear directly from people about their experiences and concerns, but also to ensure those views can feed into the wider public debate and be raised with Government as part of the decision-making process.

“Local concerns in Tiverton reflect wider pressures facing pharmacy services nationally. Community pharmacies are under significant strain, and it’s vital that local experience helps inform Government decisions about how these essential services are funded and supported for the future.”

Town and District Councillor Beckett Fish said: “It was both encouraging and horrifying to see so many local residents attend the meeting and speak so openly about their experiences. Encouraging because our community is clearly determined to be heard — but horrifying because of the human impact of what has happened. I was particularly struck by the accounts from those working on the other side of the counter: the relentless pressure they are under, the lack of support from public bodies, and the sheer scale of the crisis now facing Tiverton.

Clare House’s contribution was invaluable, and I was impressed by the lengths they have gone to in trying to resolve the situation themselves. Their patient impact assessment was stark: 2,857 responses; 35% unable to buy over the counter medicines locally; 30% unable to access pharmacy services; and 301 responses indicating potential patient harm — including missed or delayed medicines, worsening symptoms, escalation to urgent care, and concerns around safety and confidentiality. They also reported a 10% increase in GP appointments as a direct result, which is simply unsustainable.

I sincerely hope that Allied will be able to stabilise the situation, but I remain sceptical about their ability to deliver what is required. We must maintain firm pressure on the Devon Integrated Care Board, NHS England’s Pharmacy Commissioning Team, and — with the full backing of our MP — raise this urgently with Stephen Kinnock and the UK Government. I will also be speaking with Tiverton Town Council about how we continue to monitor the situation and apply consistent pressure on behalf of local residents.”