A COUNCILLOR has said she hopes a local pharmacy can be saved as the loss will prove ‘very difficult’ for people.

Councillor Shirley Evans spoke as it was revealed that the Lloyds Pharmacy branch on Station Road, Kendal, which is next to Station House Surgery, will close on January 8, 2021.

Cllr Evans found out about the closure around two weeks ago, when staff broke the news to her while she was picking up a prescription.

“They are a real part of the community,” she said.

“They’ve been there for a long time and I think they are the only chemist this side of the river.

“It’s in a really good position, if you go by car you can park, quite a lot of elderly people can walk there and it’s right next to a doctors surgery.

“I really think it is going to make it very difficult for people to pick up prescriptions from town, not everyone can.

“It is very well used and a very important part of the community.

“I don’t know if it can be, but I would hope it could be saved.

“Because it’s really important that we keep it, I don’t want it to be taken away.”

Cllr Evans gave high praise to the pharmacy’s staff, commenting on how well they had kept the pharmacy running during lockdown.

“They were wonderful they kept everything running superbly,” she said.

Councillor Carol Hardy has criticised the decision to close the pharmacy.

"The closing of Lloyds Pharmacy will have a huge effect on not only local residents but patients who travel to see their GP," she said.

"In my opinion a most inconvenient and very unfair decision made to close."

Station House Surgery has said the closure will not affect the surgery’s dispensary, but that patients who usually collect prescriptions from the Lloyds pharmacy would need to make new arrangements.

“Unfortunately the practice cannot dispense prescriptions to Lloyds customers from our in house dispensary due to dispensing regulations,”said a Station House Surgery spokesman in a statement online.

Lloyds Pharmacy was approached for comment but did not reply by the time The Westmorland Gazette went to press.