Pharmacy opens at Basildon Hospital providing seven-day service

The "larger, modern, and more welcoming" pharmacy has opened its doors and will be run by Boots in partnership with the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust.

The unit will be open seven days a week, saving patients the journey to high street pharmacies after their hospital appointment.

It will also be open on bank holidays, except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Patients who receive a prescription in Basildon Hospital after an outpatient appointment or when they leave the Emergency Department can now use the new service.

Evelyn Allen, chief pharmacist at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, said: “The new outpatient pharmacy is larger and brighter in an area that was purposefully designed for it, which will help us to handle the rise in prescriptions.

"Patients will find it a more convenient experience, and through our partnership with Boots there will also be everyday items that visitors and staff can purchase.

“This milestone in our trust’s pharmacy service wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of those involved in making it happen – so my thanks to all of them.”

The pharmacy has faced growing demand, with 100,000 items prescribed over the past year, an average of 2,100 per week.

The new site has moved from its previous location in the hospital’s outpatient department, which did not open on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Ashley Littlewood-Miller, hospitals manager at Boots, added: “I am delighted to see the new Boots outpatient store open today, there has been months of work for teams across the trust and within Boots leading up to today and I would like to thank everyone involved for their time and efforts.

“The service provided here to patients is key to supporting the trust’s work to improve patient access to outpatient medication. 

"I am excited to see our partnership with the trust continue to develop and I hope the team enjoy their brand-new store.”