SMITH SLAMS SECOND PHARMACY APPLICATION

5.32.20pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 4th Jun 2009

Iain Smith MSP has expressed amazement that, merely weeks after the failure of an appeal against a similar application, another company has applied to provide pharmaceutical services within Leuchars Post Office and is writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing to ask how this can possibly be.

Mr Smith said, 'To all intents and purposes this new application for a pharmacy in Leuchars Post Office is identical to that which was refused in early December by the NHS Fife Pharmacy Practices Committee and which was the subject of an unsuccessful appeal just a few weeks ago.Surely it is ludicrous that a mere 6 months after an application has been refused by the NHS and a matter of weeks following an unsuccessful appeal against that decision, essentially the same application for the same premises can be submitted. The previous application was tuned down on the grounds that the premises were unsuitable and that the provision of pharmaceutical services in the area was adequate; neither of these has changed since December.'

ENDS