Another New 40 Hour Pharmacy Approval in Newcastle After Oral Hearing
After the closure of a busy Boots pharmacy on Chillingham Road in Newcastle, the NHS received 8 different applications from various parties who were all seeking to re-open a pharmacy around the location of the old Boots store. The ICB refused all 8 applications despite the local council and patients campaigning for a new pharmacy. Two applications went to appeal, including one from our client and Primary Care Appeals decided to hold a hearing to determine which, if either, of the applications should be approved.
Whilst out client’s position was clear, the competing Applicant sought to make numerous submissions to either amend their opening hours or try to have a separate application that they had submitted considered with the two applications that were at appeal. They complained that the process had been unfair to them and even suggested that the entire process should be started again. Our position was that none of these arguments should be accepted and we referred to precedent to support our case.
After a quite significant delay (presumably to seek legal advice) Primary Care Appeals granted our client’s application and refused the competing application. This makes it two wins from two applications for this client and we are expecting a decision on the third application that we represented the same client on sometime towards the end of the summer.