A Boots pharmacy next door to a doctor's surgery has started to let patients know they will be closing next year.

The pharmacy in East Street in Thame is set to close on March 22, 2024, according to workers in the store.

The chain revealed in June it would be closing 300 stores in the UK throughout the next 12 months year which will see it reduce its portfolio from 2,200 to 1,900 sites.

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A member of staff at the Thame store, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We are letting customers know when they come in to pick up their prescriptions.

“It is a shame because we have developed friendships with the patients and we are right next to the doctor's surgery.

“The patients are frustrated.”

The stores being closed are said to be those in close proximity to other sites. 

The Oxford Mail understands the scheme typically affects stores within 2km of one another.

There is another Boots store in Thame on the High Street, which is half a mile away.

A Boots spokesperson said: “Evolving the store estate in this way allows Boots to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up-to-date environment.”

The retailer said there are no proposed redundancies despite the plan with affected workers to be redeployed.

Boots declined to confirm the closure when approached by the Oxford Mail.