Steeton Health Centre will officially open its long-awaited new pharmacy on Monday.

Doctors at the health centre had fought against three planning applications to open independent pharmacies in the village.

They feared if this happened, their dispensing rights would be taken away, threatening services, which were paid for by money from prescriptions.

However, back in August 1998, Bradford Health Authority granted an application by Steeton Healthcare Ltd to provide a full pharmacy service at the health centre.

Now patients using the centre, on Chapel Road, will have the opportunity to use the service and have the expertise of a qualified pharmacist on hand without having to travel a great distance.

Dr Neil Smith told the Herald: "This is what the local people wanted and we're glad as it's taken a long time for this to happen - a couple of years in fact.

"Previously there was only a dispensary at the health centre where doctors could write out prescriptions and the patients would hand these in to a qualified dispenser. With having the pharmacist though, there'll be so much more on offer and it'll be able to sell over the counter stuff.

"We as doctors will be working closely with the pharmacist and there will be a lot of inter-professional contact."

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