**Pharmacy Chaos: Staff Ordered to Work Without Pay?**
The ongoing turmoil at a prominent pharmacy chain, Jhoots, has reached a boiling point with staff members revealing they’re owed months of wages. The chain, with 153 locations across the UK, is reportedly entangled in a crisis, facing severe staffing issues, stock shortages, and sudden closures.
An employee from one of the Welsh pharmacies shared, “We’ve been waiting for our wages for two months, with constant false promises of payment. It’s been 11 weeks of operation with no stock and no pharmacist.” Despite keeping their doors open to sell whatever items are still available, the inability to dispense prescriptions is straining the surrounding community pharmacies that are scrambling to cover the increased workload.
Critics are calling for drastic measures, with North Somerset MP Sadik Al Hassan spearheading a campaign for the chain’s closure due to ongoing chaos that’s affecting both staff and patients heavily in his constituency. Jhoots, owned by Sarbjit and Manjit Jhooty, is under severe scrutiny, with staff running on empty and morale at an all-time low. Manjit Jhooty acknowledges the seriousness of these issues but defers responsibility to Sarbjit Jhooty’s management.
The Pharmacists Defence Association union reports that freelance pharmacists are owed a staggering £670,000. The Welsh Government is now being urged to consider stripping the chain of its NHS contracts.
Amongst this chaos, dedicated employees remain on-site despite the looming threat of disciplinary action for ‘gross misconduct’ if absent, all without knowing if they’ll ever be paid. The situation is dire, staff claiming their mental well-being is deteriorating under such stress, exacerbated by the lack of communication and transparency from their leadership.
How will this saga unfold? Will the pressures force a change at the top, or could this mark the end for Jhoots as we know it? Only time will tell, but one thing’s certain: the pharmacy community will be feeling the effects for a while.