Barriers have been erected outside a Westhill pharmacy where angry customers were today left waiting for hours in 25C heat.
Last week, Lloyd’s closed one of its stores in Westhill – leaving just one pharmacy to serve the Aberdeenshire town.
Now, barriers have been erected outside the business to control the queues.
Staff have also put out three chairs and a water bowl for dogs joining their owners for the long wait.
A security guard is allowing only five people in the store at once, and locks up for lunch from 1pm-2pm.
One resident complained about the barriers, describing it as a new “Disneyland type” queuing system.
‘It’s an insult’
Many of those standing in the queue outside today, which takes up three parent parking spaces, claimed the chemist is bad for not having the prescriptions ready for collection.
One man, who did not want to be named commented: “It’s just a shambles, Lloyd’s should have senior management here to try and fix it.
“Previously I’ve waited even on a good day.”
Another customer, who also did not want to be named agreed: “It’s always been a shambles.
“But, after the bad publicity they’ve got for them to still allow this to go on and just put barriers up, it’s nonsense, it’s an insult. The token three chairs are just a joke.
“I’d be very surprised if many customers stay with Lloyds after this.”
Christina Yule queued for 20 minutes this morning before having to abandon her attempt to get back to work at a housing association.
The 66-year-old normally phones ahead to collect her repeat prescription, but after trying 13 times today had no luck.
Coming back for a second attempt she said: “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I go in and they say they don’t have it, and I have to go home and phone the surgery because that’s what I had to do last time.
“Even if they just let you know what was happening, or put up what kind of waiting time you should expect to have.”
Waiting to be turned away
For Deborah Jackson, today was her fourth time queuing for the same prescription that she was supposed to get three weeks ago.
After queuing on Thursday to be told to come back the next day, the 52-year-old waited for over an hour on Friday in the rain for it to still not be ready.
A woman, who did not wish to give her name, said she was waiting in the queue this morning for almost an hour when they closed for lunch and she was turned away with no warning.
Read more: Westhill pharmacy doors locked on customers after two-hour wait in prescriptions queue
She then returned after 2pm and waited a further 20 minutes before she could even get inside the pharmacy.
The mum of three said: “I think they’re very unorganised. I think they could do themselves a big favour even by having someone out here and just taking down two to three names at a time, just to see if it’s ready.
“I just feel sorry for the elderly. When I was here Friday there was a gentleman behind me who had heart surgery last year. He was here to pick up his heart medication, he completely run out and had been for two days, so that was his third day in a row of coming and waiting.
“He got it that day, but three days is outrageous.”
Worries for the elderly
David Berget said he has heard many stories about Lloyd’s Pharmacy and seen the queues on his trips to Home Bargains.
He also has major concerns for elderly people who are queuing for long periods.
The 49-year-old said: “There’s no excuse. It’s pathetic. There are a lot of elderly people that live around here and I think it’s just not on.
“What’s going to happen when winter comes when someone is really frail and someone collapses and dies? What does it take?”
He also said it’s “embarrassing” getting escorted out, “like a bouncer at a nightclub”.
‘You think you’ve seen it all’
Retired pharmacist, Sally Leiper said she was shocked by the situation.
Mrs Leiper, aged 87, said: “I was a freelance locum. And I must have totted up about 30 different pharmacies I worked in, from Inverurie to Inverbervie. You think you’ve seen it all, but my goodness, this is very sad.”
Having stood in queues herself in cold weather, she said it had caused a “great deal of genuine distress and anger”.
She added: “The people of Westhill are not naturally aggressive.
“The sort of aggro that they’re getting here in Westhill is middle-aged ladies, who just have probably never spoken like that in their lives. And that’s well, it’s sad, really.
“Some of the places that I worked at you went up to your elbows in methadone you’d know what aggro was, and it was part and parcel of the job. You didn’t put a notice on the door, you know, you just got on with it.
“I know who’s to blame and it’s senior management in Lloyds. You know, it’s not the staff there.”
“The pharmacy was good to me. And I’m just sad that it seems to have lost its way somewhere, but I’m sure they’re still very good pharmacists.”
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