An agreement has now been reached to transfer Colne’s Pharmacy across to the new multi-million pound health centre.
Last week we reported how Colne Health Centre had come under fire by patients and councillors after hosting its official opening before moving all its services across from the former site in Market Street.
Now, NHS property services and the pharmacy Colne HCC Limited have confirmed that they will be moving to the Craddock Road state-of-the-art building “as soon as possible”.
A spokesman for NHS Property Services said: “Contrary to recent reports, NHS Property Services is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Colne Pharmacy to move into the new health centre. This is clearly good news for the people of Colne. We are currently working with the pharmacy and our partners NHS England to enable a move to take place as soon as possible.”
And a spokesman for the pharmacy Colne HCC Limited said: “We are pleased that an agreement has been reached with NHS Property Services and look forward to relocating the Pharmacy to the new Health centre premises and to continue to provide patients with a high quality service from a first class facility.”
The news has been welcomed by Colne councillors, including Coun. Tony Greaves, who raised a question about the delay in the House of Lords.
He said: “It is wonderful what a bit of pressure can do. This is really good news.”
Coun. Dorothy Lord said: “They were sitting on this to make some money out of it. Tony threatened to take this to Pendle Council, to the scrutiny committee, and obviously now they have realised that people were very concerned about it.
“It is a good result now.”
And leader of Pendle Council Coun. Joe Cooney added: “It is good news that it is finally going to move. It perhaps should have moved a lot sooner, but let’s hope they get it open as quickly as they can.
“It has not been ideal for people having to go elsewhere.”
