A local pharmacy chain which describes itself as “York’s largest independent pharmacy group” has decided to merge two of its branches because increasing operating costs and poor government funding threatens to leave the local area without a pharmacy.

Citywide Health, which has eight pharmacies in York, will relocate Huntington Pharmacy in Huntington GP surgery into Parkers Pharmacy which is just down the road.

Citywide Health director Richard Harrison told The York Press that merging the two pharmacies was “the only viable way to continue to be able to operate a pharmacy in Huntington.”

“Government funding for community pharmacies has been frozen for seven years, while costs of operating the pharmacies have increased by 30 per cent,” he said.

“The closure of Lloyds Pharmacy in Sainsbury's at Monks Cross demonstrates the financial difficulties community pharmacies face.”

According to The York Press, the new, combined Parkers Pharmacy has had a 24-hour medicines collection point installed and a second consultation room has been built. The merger will also see the pharmacy extend its opening hours to 8pm during the week and 1pm on Saturdays.