PRIMARY CARE CONTRACTOR ORGANISATION PHARMACY PRACTICES COMMITTEE Application by Reach Pharmacy (Neeraj Salwan Trading As) for inclusion in the pharmaceutical list in respect of the address, 3 Loganlea Terrace, Addiewell, Loganlea, EH55 8HN. The Pharmacy Practices Committee met at 11.30am on Thursday 9th September 2010 in The meeting Room, West Calder Medical Centre to consider the above application in accordance with the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Decision of the Pharmacy Practices Committee The decision of the Committee was that the provision of pharmaceutical services at the premises was neither necessary nor desirable in order to secure adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises were located by persons whose names are included in the pharmaceutical list and that accordingly the application should not be granted. Pharmacy Practices Committee Jack Aitchison (Chair) Peter Jones (Non-contractor Pharmacist) Fiona McCready (Contractor Pharmacist) Patricia Easton (Lay member) Ian Melville (Lay member) Susan Summers (Administrator to the Pharmacy Practices Committee) (accompanied by Lynda Campbell) 1. The Committee convened to consider an application for inclusion in the pharmaceutical list, dated 9th February 2010, by Neeraj Salwan in respect of the address, 3 Loganlea Road, Addiewell, Loganlea, EH55 8HN. A copy of the application had been circulated in advance to the Committee and the parties. 2. Written representations had been received from Lothian Area Pharmaceutical Committee; Mr Cassie, James White Chemist Ltd; Yvonne Williams, Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacy; Graeme McBride, MacBride Pharmacy and Emma Griffiths, The Co-operative Pharmacy. The applicant and the interested parties were entitled to comment on the representations received. Further comments were received from Reach Pharmacy (Applicant), 4 Lynedoch Place, Charing Cross, Glasgow, G3 6AB. Copies of the written representations had been circulated in advance to the Committee and the parties. 3. An unsolicited letter and email of support was received from Angela Constance MSP dated 11th March 2010. This person has no statutory right to make representations on this matter and the Board did not consult them. However the letter was made available to the Committee for information only. 4. The Committee had before them maps of the area surrounding the proposed premises detailing the location of the nearest pharmacies and GP surgeries, deprivation categories and population density. They had details of the numbers of prescriptions dispensed during the months December 2009 – May 2010 by the pharmacies nearest to the proposed premises and the number of prescriptions they dispensed that were issued from the GP surgeries closest to the premises during the months January 2010 – March 2010. The Committee were also provided with “Pharmacy Profiles” of the nearest pharmacies detailing opening hours, premises facilities and services offered. 5. Under paragraph 5(10) of the Regulations the Committee was required to decide whether “the provision of pharmaceutical services at the premises named in the application is necessary or desirable in order to secure adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises are located by persons whose names are included in the pharmaceutical list.” 6. It had been confirmed prior to the meeting that the members present did not have an interest to declare. 7. The Committee agreed to invite the applicant Reach Pharmacy (Neeraj Salwan Trading As) and those who were present who had made written representations to attend before them. They were: Neeraj Salwan, representing Reach Pharmacy (Neeraj Salwan Trading As) Arvind Salwan, assisting in the presentation of the application Mr S Cassie, representing James White Chemist Ltd Yvonne Williams, representing Lindsay & Gilmour Graeme McBride, representing MacBride Pharmacy 8. The Chairman explained the procedure that would be followed and no person present objected. 9. The procedure adopted by the Committee was that the applicant made an opening submission to the Committee, which was followed by an opportunity for the objectors and the Committee to ask questions. The objectors then made their oral representations and the applicant and the Committee then asked the objectors questions. The parties were then given an opportunity to sum up. Before the parties left the meeting the Chairman asked all parties if they felt that they had had a fair and full hearing. They confirmed that they had. 10. Prior to the meeting the Committee undertook a site visit. The Committee noted the location of the proposed premises, the pharmacies nearest to the proposed premises, the nearest GP surgeries and the neighbourhood as defined by the applicant. 11. The Committee was required to and did take account of all relevant factors concerning the issues of neighbourhood, adequacy of existing pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood and whether the provision of pharmaceutical services at the premises named in the application was necessary or desirable to secure adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises are located. 12. The Chair of the Committee informed the hearing that at the site visit a representative from the local Community Council and a representative from Pit Stop had been present. The applicant had made these representatives aware of when the site visit was to take place. As they had not been invited by the Committee and did not have the right of representation, the Committee were aware that these unsolicited verbal representations were not to be considered in their final deliberation. Neighbourhood - Applicant 13. The Committee noted that the applicant, Reach Pharmacy, had defined the neighbourhood as; North: Open countryside with its junction at Blackburn Road and Faraday Place following the line of residential and commercial development to which the village of Addiewell extends. East: Deepdale Branch Road surrounded by open countryside South: the south is a natural boundary following the line of the A71 which is a major trunk road. West: Ross Court bounded by countryside down to the A71 The applicant clarified in his oral submission that the neighbourhood could be defined as the boundaries on the north, east and west comprising and enclosing all of the village of Addiewell and the adjoining localities extending beyond these axes, along which lies rural farmland and Greenfield. Neighbourhood – Interested Parties 14. Yvonne Williams, Lindsay & Gilmour; Stephen Cassie, James White Chemist Ltd and Graeme McBride, MacBride Pharmacy, agreed with the Applicant’s definition of the neighbourhood. Adequacy of Existing Pharmaceutical Services and Necessity or Desirability - Applicant 15. Mr Salwan submitted to the Committee that Addiewell is a poor neighbourhood which faces a number of challenges in terms of health care issues due to the area being income deprived with high levels of unemployment, low car ownership and high levels of drug addiction. Mr Salwan went on to say that there are no proper health care facilities in Addiewell such as a pharmacy or GP practice and it would therefore be highly desirable to have a pharmacy located in Addiewell to help address some of these issues. 16. Mr Salwan informed the Committee that there are pharmacies out with the neighbourhood which provide services to the neighbourhood population but he did not believe that the current provision was adequate for those members of the population who find difficulty in accessing the services i.e. the housebound, the elderly, terminally ill patients and people who are working. 17. Mr Salwan submitted that Addiewell is made up of the locations known as Loganlea and Addiebrownhill and that these have collectively come together to be known as Addiewell. New housing has increased the population by over 600 residents. Mr Salwan added that there were two local primary schools, a parish church, a post office and a community based miner’s welfare and social club, known as the Pit Stop, which houses various community based services. These include a Credit Union, Fitness Suite, nutrition advice, advice on smoking cessation, under 5’s play area, broadband and internet connection, homeopathic surgeries, eat well food co-op, walking group, GP exercise classes, youth club, baby clinic, senior citizens association and shopping facilities. 18. Mr Salwan added that there was also an active Community Council who backed the proposal for a new pharmacy. 19. Mr Salwan informed the Committee that the residents of Breich, which is a small community to the west of Addiewell, make use of the local services available in Addiewell on a regular basis. The two schools in Addiewell have pupils who live in Breich on their registration list. With the opening of the new prison in Addiewell, visitors and staff also make use of the local amenities and would also be served by a new pharmacy. 20. Mr Salwan informed the Committee that he had determined that Addiewell was made up of two data zones. These data zones are groups of Census output areas and have populations of between 500 and 1000 household residents. Where possible, they have been made to respect physical boundaries and natural communities. One of these data zones is one of the 15% most deprived in Scotland. The 2009 mid year estimates show that the population of the neighbourhood (excluding Breich residents) is in excess of 2000. These figures take