Overview

• Jhoots Pharmacies, run by Sarbjit Jhooty, operates roughly 140 branches across the UK and faces reports of widespread service disruption.
• The Pharmacists Defence Association says locum pharmacists are owed about £670,000, while some permanent staff report going weeks without pay.
• Branches have temporarily closed or run without pharmacists or stock, including four of five sites shut on the Isle of Wight and reported seven-week stock gaps in North Devon.
• MP Sadik Al Hassan has called the situation shocking, urged Jhoots to give up NHS contracts in his area, and pressed for NHS action to protect patient access.
• Jhooty has acknowledged operational difficulties and cited recruitment challenges, with the company engaging stakeholders to restore services as NHS bodies signal they can take formal action for contract breaches.