I am writing following publication of several articles in the Bolton Evening News regarding Boots the Chemists at Middlebrook Retail Park, Horwich, which does not have an NHS dispensing contract.

It might be helpful for me to clarify how applications to provide pharmaceutical services are dealt with.

The Health Authority has responsibility for considering and making decisions on applications to provide pharmaceutical services. The way in which the Health Authority considers such applications is set out in national regulations made by the Secretary of State.

When an application to provide pharmaceutical services is received, the Health Authority must copy the application to interested parties, which includes the Local Medical Committee, the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, (the committees which are representative of local doctors and pharmacists), the Community Health Council (which represents the public), and any person included in the Health Authority's pharmaceutical list who might be affected (local pharmacies). Any comments received from interested parties regarding the application are taken into consideration by the Health Authority in reaching its decision.

The Health Authority must consider whether there is an adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the "neighbourhood", which the Health Authority should define. In this case, the "neighbourhood" was defined by the Health Authority to include part of Horwich, in particular Brazley and Lostock, in addition to the Middlebrook Retail Park. There are no hard and fast rules or formulae for determining the number and distribution of pharmacies or other premises supplying NHS services and each application should be considered on its merits.

In this particular case, all proposed, current and completed housing developments within the area were noted accordingly. It was acknowledged by the Health Authority that the Middlebrook Retail Park was a developing area, and that people visiting the area either to work or for leisure/recreational purposes were likely to have a need or expect pharmaceutical services to be available within the Retail Park. It was agreed by the Health Authority that the needs of local residents and those visiting the Retail Park were adequately met by existing pharmacies within the neighbourhood, and within the Retail Park itself by the pharmacy within the Tesco store which offered extensive opening hours. It was also felt that shoppers and workers visiting the Retail Park would have access to pharmaceutical services close to where they lived or near to their own GP practice.

While it was noted that an application to provide pharmaceutical services at premises close to those specified by Boots had been considered, and rejected by the Health Authority in March 1997, the Health Authority did not base its decision in this case on previously determined grounds, and the application from Boots was fully considered, taking into account all information provided by the applicant in support of his application

J F Sumner

Director of Primary Care

Wigan and Bolton Health Authority

Standishgate, Wigan

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