HEALTH watchdogs fighting to keep open a Saturday morning pharmacy in a deprived area of Bishop Auckland are calling for changes to the way chemists' shops are funded.

South Durham and Weardale Community Health Council (CHC) is refusing to support Welsh Chemists's bid to end its Saturday morning service in Melrose Drive, St Helen Auckland.

It says, the business should be supported as a community pharmacy, offering more services, including advice on minor illnesses and over-the counter medicines. That would mean dropping the present method of funding based on the number of prescriptions a pharmacy dispenses.

The community health council's chief officer, Valerie Bryden, called on health chiefs to find alternative ways of keeping small pharmacies viable.

At present there is no Saturday morning doctor's surgery in St Helen Auckland.

She said: "Welsh Chemists sits within one of the most deprived wards in the area, and there is huge potential to improve.

"It is the nearest pharmacy to villages including West Auckland, Toft Hill, Evenwood, Etherley, Woodhouses and Greenfields. There are too many vulnerable people in the area for the CHC to support the closure of the Saturday morning facility at St Helens.

"Given the social exclusion problems in the area, we cannot accept that withdrawing vital primary care services is in the interest of patients.

"We urge the Health Authority, the primary care group, and local pharmaceutical committee to discuss ways in which small community pharmacies such as Welsh Chemists, can be supported."

Welsh Chemists failed to respond to requests for a comment last night