A WARRINGTON pharmacist has spoken out against proposals to create new health supermarkets in the town, calling the idea unworkable'.

Arthur Jolley, a pharmacist in the town for more than 40 years, claims that the down side of the suggested Primary Care Strategy' will be an end to the community pharmacist.

The strategy, which would mean radical changes to the way primary care is delivered in the town, is currently the subject of a public consultation.

If it goes ahead, two health supermarkets' would be operational by 2009 at the Garven Place site and in Orford Park.

But Mr Jolley said: "If you create five super centres with Warrington's 29 GP practices working from them it will mean five pharmacies.

"This number of pharmacies for an area as large as Warrington is not enough. The town will become a pharmaceutical desert.

"If this isn't the case and some doctors are working outside of it then what is the point in doing it anyway?

"It's completely unworkable.

"I've seen all this before around 20 or 30 years ago and it was scrapped precisely because of this reason.

"I can just about see the point of having one health supermarket' in the centre of town but beyond that it's impossible."

A spokesman for Warrington Primary Care Trust said: "The PCT welcomes all comments received in response to its public consultation on the future of primary care services in the town. We also recognise that the strategy proposes some changes to services as they are currently provided.

"However, we would ask people to remember that the plan is a vision for the next 20 years. This consultation is an important part of the development process and we are keen to know whether people will support our plans for the future provision of services in the town."