Tesco is axing this ‘crucial’ service from several UK supermarkets

Tesco has announced it will be closing an essential service across several of its stores this year. The UK’s biggest supermarket will be closing 10 in-store pharmacies, leaving customers worried about how far they will have to travel for medications,.

One, @1pluseipi, took to X to voice their concerns, writing: ‘Our original pharmacy was over a mile in the opposite direction. Effectively a bunch of their customers have to cross the entire city. ‘There are no bus routes from the first pharmacy to the new one. It’s too far to walk (especially for the elderly and frail). They [Tesco] clearly don’t care.’.

Following the news, one London resident also started a change.org petition to protect their local branch in Pinner Green in Harrow. The description read: ‘We simply cannot let our Pinner Green Tesco Pharmacy join this growing list. Our community’s health and well-being are at stake here.

‘The closure of our pharmacy is not just an inconvenience. For many, particularly the elderly and disabled, it may represent the loss of accessibility to crucial medication, especially in rural areas where pharmacies like ours can be the only one for miles.’.

Tesco has not yet confirmed which locations will be impacted or when they will shut, but has said that the affected pharmacies will continue to operate as normal until their closure later this year. Staff will put up clear signage in the closing locations to alert customers ahead of time, with details signposting shoppers to their nearest alternative pharmacy – which Tesco promises will be within a five-mile radius.

A spokesperson from the retailer told Metro: ‘Following a comprehensive review, last month we took the difficult decision to close a small number of our pharmacies later this year, in line with customer demand. ‘We remain committed to providing our customers with the very best pharmacy services and continue to have a network of over 350 pharmacies across the country open and ready to help.’.

The supermarket currently has 360 pharmacies across the country, offering a range of services including NHS treatments, flu jabs and prescription dispensing. Tesco announced in April 2023 that it was closing eight of its in-store chemists – which were previously open 100 hours a week – claiming the branches were not seeing ‘sufficient customer demand to sustain their long opening hours’.

It follows a trend across the industry too. Healthwatch England found that 436 pharmacies closed permanently in England in 2023, with more closures recorded in rural areas and those with older populations. This is the equivalent of eight pharmacies shutting their doors permanently every week.

Last year, National Pharmacy Association chief executive Paul Rees warned the Autumn budget would pile more pressure on already financially strained pharmacies, including the hike on employer National Insurance Contributions from 13.8% to 15%. Despite the announcement of £22.6 billion in funding for the NHS, Rees said: ‘There’s absolutely no mention in the budget of action to halt the closure of our vital NHS pharmacy network, which has been shrinking at the rate of seven a week as pharmacies are forced to close through underfunding.’.

Alongside the closures, Tesco recently shared it would be launching free NHS blood pressure checks at its in-store pharmacy branches, with aim of helping to ‘detect cases of undiagnosed high blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes’.

It comes after research from Tesco revealed that 15% of adults say they don’t have time to get their blood pressure checked, while others cited confusion around when to check and how to understand a reading. Jonathan Bridgett, Tesco Pharmacy services manager, said: ‘We know how important it is for people to get their blood pressure checked, and seeing some of the survey results shows that many people don’t realise just how convenient and quick a free check-in a Tesco Pharmacy can be, especially without the need for an appointment.

‘People can make a number of small changes to their lifestyle that support heart and health and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.’. Do you have a story to share?. Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. Arrow MORE: Cocaine addict has part of her head grafted onto her nose after it collapsed.

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