CHEMISTS across south Essex are backing a national campaign against proposed Government cuts which could see 3,000 pharmacies close.

Department of Health officials claim some parts of the country have more pharmacies than needed.

Philip Hodgkinson, from the Grange Pharmacy, in London Road, Rayleigh, has launched a petition to gather support for a national campaign led by the National Pharmacy Association.

More than 300 customers have signed his petition, which agues more pressure will be put on GPs and hospitals if community pharmacies are forced to close.

Mr Hodgkinson said: “Doctors time is so critically overloaded that pharmacies are even more popular. When GP surgeries are closed, pharmacies are the first port of call.

"I think a lot of the ones in Rayleigh are quite well used, so I hope they all stay, but you never know. About 3,000 are under threat, it’s the complete randomness of it all that’s quite chilling.”

According to the Department of Health, funding for community pharmacies is set to fall from £2.8bn to £2.63bn from October, as part of the drive to find £22bn of savings across the health service by 2020.

Dai Matthews, of Clayhill Road Pharmacy, Basildon, has secured 600 signatures.

He said: "Pharmacies could be closed in rural villages and that would be a major blow to a lot of people.

“It really is a question of trying to keep as many pharmacies open as possible. It’s crazy to be honest with you."

While officials say it is not yet clear how many pharmacies will close, Mr Burt, minister for community and social care, previously estimated it could be between 1,000 and 3,000, out of 11,674 overall.

Fizz Haji, of Belfairs Pharmacy, Eastwood Road North, Leigh, warned certain services could be scrapped even is his business stays open.

He said: "We have the petition up and have more than 300 signatures. We don’t know if we will be ok. This proposals will affect all the community services, as without funding, we cannot provide them.”

Oreofe Salami, pharmacist at Britannia, in Canvey High Street, added: "I don’t think it is right. There will be pharmacies closing down, increasing the amount others have to do. We are already strained. I don’t think it’s viable."

Community pharmacies are run privately but funded by the NHS.

Ian Stidston, accountable officer for NHS Castle Point and Rochford, said: "While we are unable to comment on national plans or their implications until we receive further detail, locally, as part of a wider transformation plans, we are looking to transform how primary care is delivered in our local communities and we see community pharmacies playing a significant part in that transformation.

"Our goal is to both improve the way patients access their medicines and to drive efficiencies where possible. We’d welcome patient views on this subject, do local residents feel that there are too many or too few local pharmacists, how could we make things better? Residents can email us their views cpr.ccg@nhs.net"