Biddulph Late Night Pharmacy has begun a six-week pilot this weekend with Leek Link Taxis after locals raised concerns about the lack of pharmacy provision available on Sundays. 

There are pharmacies in Leek, but none are open on a Sunday for those in immediate need of accessing services. Nearby larger town Stoke-on-Trent is 11 miles away. 

Biddulph manager Muhammad Shuaib told C+D: “There was a local from Leek, about 9 miles away from Biddulph, who came down for some Pharmacy First treatment and we got talking.  

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“The Lloyd’s in Sainsbury’s closed in Leek and since there’s been nothing there.” 

Shuaib told the local that the pharmacy is “always willing to support the community and improve access”, having recently started offering ear wax removal services after Biddulph’s hearing centre shut down. 

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The resident got back in touch with Shuaib a week later to explain that he had contacted Leek Link Taxis, who he had previously worked with during Covid when he organised free taxi runs on public holidays. 

PNA submission 

“It was going to be on a ‘pay what you can’ basis but then that was changed as the taxi company owner Eddie said if we were going to do it, he wants to offer it free of charge,” Shuaib said. 

“We thought, let’s have a bit of structure to it – there’ll be shuttle runs three times a day.  

“So, someone gets a prescription and get it sent to our pharmacy. They’ll call our pharmacy and ask if we can get it ready.  

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“We’ll check and if we can get it ready, we give them a code, and they’ll call the taxi and quote that code. 

“Then they’ll say the next run is at 1:30pm so we’ll pick you up at 1pm and bring you to the pharmacy.” 

Shuaib said they decided to run the pilot for six weeks. He’ll collect the data and provide feedback on the service to the local pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) consultation for the area that runs until the end of August. 

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“We’re going to get some flyers for all the local GP surgeries, so the patients are aware this service exists. 

“It just improves access. We thought, let’s see how it works and whether there is a need, and then how we can support it.” 

He added it shows how a conversation with a patient “can bring a positive outcome for the community”. 

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It comes as this month, a rural health initiative celebrated a year of directing Welsh farmers to their local pharmacy or GP for medical support. 

And a Scottish community pharmacist was recognised at a Royal event for using his IP qualification to grow the Pharmacy First Plus service in the village communities near Inverness over the past 20 years.