Pharmacy chain ‘chaos’ as staff ‘ordered to work without pay’

STAFF at a struggling pharmacy chain say they are owed months of pay without explanation.

- CONOR GOGARTY Investigations editor [e-mail]

There are 153 Jhoots pharmacies across the UK and many are reported to be battling crises, including long-delayed wages, inadequate stock and unexplained closures.

An employee from one of the six Welsh branches told the Western Mail: “Myself and other members of staff are waiting on two months of wages that the company keeps making false promises of when we will receive payment. We have just finished our 11th week out of operation due to no stock being delivered in eight weeks and no pharmacist for five weeks.”

Jhoots - which has branches in Cardiff, Newport, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Swansea and Aberystwyth - was fiercely criticised last week by North Somerset MP Sadik Al Hassan who called for the chain to be shut down.

He told the BBC the “shocking” situation had left patients struggling to get prescriptions as branches were regularly and unexpectedly closed, or open with low stock.

Our source said the same “chaos” is plaguing the Welsh pharmacies, adding: “Our door is still open and we are able to sell items on the shelves, but nothing behind the cabinets. We cannot dispense any medication without a pharmacist on premises.

“We cannot provide vital services and medications to our patients, and it is causing much stress for the surrounding pharmacies who are overwhelmed with taking on our workload. We have had no official confirmation from HR as to why our only supplier has suspended [deliveries]”

Freelance pharmacists who have worked at Jhoots branches run by Sarbjit Jhooty are owed £670,000 in unpaid fees, according to the Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) union.