Allied Pharmacies has acquired another 68 branches of Jhoots Pharmacy, bringing its total takeover of the troubled chain to 129 stores. The move comes after months of serious operational problems at Jhoots, including allegations of unpaid staff wages and concerns raised by MPs in parliament.
The acquisition follows an earlier takeover of 61 Jhoots branches by Allied this year. Jhoots previously operated approximately 150 pharmacies across the UK before the takeovers began.
An Allied Pharmacies spokesman said the company is «focused on bringing these pharmacies back to full operational capacity as quickly as possible to safeguard patient care, while also acknowledging the former Jhoots employees for their commitment and resilience during this challenging time».
Staff payment crisis
Jhoots faced severe criticism over alleged non-payment of staff wages. Some employees reportedly went months without pay and relied on food banks. The Pharmacy Defence Association estimated that Jhoots businesses owed more than £870,000 in unpaid locum fees to its members.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock addressed the issue during an urgent parliamentary debate in October, calling it «completely and utterly unacceptable if a business such as Jhoots is not paying its staff».
Parliamentary concerns
MPs raised multiple concerns about Jhoots during the October debate, including unexpected branch closures, mismanagement of controlled drugs, and unpaid rent to landlords.
Kinnock criticized Jhoots' service standards, stating: «Unfortunately, there are some (pharmacies) that fall short of the standards that we expect, and sadly, the services provided by Jhoots are falling well below the mark,»
Allied assured that all acquired employees «will receive the same consideration and care as those supported during the earlier acquisition of pharmacies this year».
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
