NHS tight lipped over pharmacy
NHS SHETLAND have refused to reveal the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting to decide whether to grant commercial chemist Norsepharm Ltd permission to open a pharmacy in Scalloway.
The local community have come out vocally against the plan, winning the staunch backing of isles MSP Tavish Scott who has joined them in warning of the threat to the local GP practice.
The Scalloway doctors have said that they stand to lose one third of their business income of they do not retain the health centre’s pharmacy and have put in a rival application.
Despite pleas from local residents and Mr Scott to hear the two applications at the same time and judge them on their relative merits, NHS Shetland has insisted it must follow government legal advice and consider the applications in the order in which they were submitted.
Norsepharm Ltd successfully appealed against a decision by NHS Orkney not to allow it to open a pharmacy in Dounby last year.
Director of pharmacy with NHS Shetland, Chris Nicolson, said a decision had been reached but could not be made public before next week as the applicant had to be informed first.
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