The Hon. Ian
Paisley MP has thanked community pharmacy teams for their ongoing commitment to
patients and local communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MP paid a
visit to Woodsides Pharmacy in Ballymena and spoke with pharmacist Joanne
Morrow and her team about their experiences of Covid-19.
Mr Paisley
heard how the community pharmacy network ensured crucial frontline services
were kept open for patients during the very worst of the crisis. At its onset,
local community pharmacy teams dealt with a huge surge in patient numbers as
the pandemic took hold and quickly adapted pharmacy premises so that patients
could continue to access vital services.
Speaking
after the visit, Ian Paisley MP said:
“I was very
pleased to be able to visit Joanne and her team at Woodsides today to thank
them for their work during the pandemic.
“I have
long believed in the value of our local community pharmacy network and the
important role it plays as a core part of health and social care.
“Throughout
the pandemic, community pharmacists have delivered for communities when they
needed it and the open door policy during this time has mean the most
vulnerable have been supported throughout the crisis.
“Visiting
the Woodsides pharmacy team today reminded me of the fundamental role community
pharmacy plays in public health. Accessible, diligent and supporting us when we
are most vulnerable. The service provided is one we must endeavour to uplift
and support.”
Local
community pharmacist Joanne Morrow said:
“Working on
the frontline during this pandemic has been one of the most challenging periods
of my career to date. In March, when lockdown measures were put in place,
community pharmacists were adamant that our commitment and duty of care to our
patients was paramount and had to be maintained so that no one went without.
“We are
proud of our team here at Woodsides for the dedication and care they have shown
to the local community and it has been a pleasure to be able to talk to Ian
about the work our team have carried out over the past few months.”
“The
strength of our community pharmacy network is in our accessibility and the fact
we are deeply rooted in local communities – we know our patients and they know
us and trust us.
“Now, as we
enter into the next phase in this pandemic, our role is to continue the work we
started, supporting our communities and putting their health and wellbeing
first.”
