THE pharmacy at Cirencester Hospital has been taken over by national healthcare brand Lloyds and will offer extended opening hours and a more responsive service, staff say.

A new contract with Lloyds Pharmacy for services across Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust came into effect on Friday, May 1.

The pharmacy at Cirencester Hospital has now been privatised and will be open seven days a week rather than just in the week from 9am-5pm.

Previously the provider of the pharmacy was Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Chief executive of Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust Paul Jennings said: "Having a pharmacy service offering extended hours will give us more opportunity to get patients back out of community hospitals and into their own homes.

"The new contract means that pharmacy professionals will have a greater presence on the wards and play a more active role in the care of our patients.

"Drugs for the hospital wards will be restocked on a weekly basis, with additional twice daily deliveries and an urgent call-out if required, in contrast to the previous 9am to 5pm service.

"The majority of outpatients receive their prescriptions from their GP and use their high street pharmacy. On those occasions when a prescription is issued at an outpatients clinic, the hospital has four high-street pharmacies within half a mile.

"The tender process for this service took over a year and I am confident that the trust is receiving an enhanced and more responsive service which offers better value for money.”

Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust uses around £2.5m in pharmaceuticals each year, but staff have said the precise value of the contract remains confidential.