Villagers have launched a last-ditch bid to save their local pharmacy – and warned losing it could be the final blow to an already “dying” community.
Residents at Udny Station have made a final appealing to NHS Grampian to try to have dispensing services at their local surgery retained.
The health board announced last month that six pharmacies across the north-east could face closure as part of an ongoing review.
Patients in Rhynie, Gardenstown, Skene, Portlethen, Auchenblae and Udny Station are currently able to collect their prescriptions at their local GP practices.
Udny residents will meet MSP’s, councillors and medical professionals later this month to encourage as many people as possible to make their views known to the board.
Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin said: “The dispensing service is the only one available in Udny Station, there are no plans for any kind of replacement facility so its closure would have a large impact on residents.”
The review was launched 18 months after a long-running row over dispensing services at Haddo Medical Group.
After dispensing services there closed, the GP practice followed suit and people at Udny fear they will end up in the same position.
Local resident Sandra Steward said: “We have already lost so many facilities and now we are a dying community.
“To lose something as vital as this, especially when we have an ageing community, would be very detrimental to Udny Station.
“The way Haddo went is also a large concern to us, I can see us going exactly the same way.
“Then it’s not just affecting people who need their prescriptions, but what about people that work at the surgery?
“Closing it altogether would mean a number of job losses in the area.”
A spokeswoman for the health board said: “The review will seek to determine which patients of each of the associated practices continue to have serious difficulty in accessing prescribed medicines and appliances from a pharmacy.
“The review will also seek to establish the overall impact of any potential changes on the practices involved with the aim of ensuring sustainability and a cross-system approach.”
The Save our Surgery meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 24 at the Udny Station community centre at 7.30pm.