The NHS Resolution has ordered the removal of a Jhoots Pharmacy branch in the Isle of Wight from the pharmaceutical list and rejected the appeal filed by the troubled pharmacy group.
The appeals body, on October 29, stated that the Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB had considered all the evidence and decided that the above premises (located at Albert Street, Ventnor, Isle of Wight) should be removed from the pharmaceutical list for the area of the Hampshire Health and Wellbeing Board.
It stated that repeated breach notices have been issued in relation to the pharmacy group and Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB committee is satisfied that the Jhoots outlet "is likely to persist in breaching that term of service.”
Out of 27 pharmacies on the Isle of Wight, five are run by Jhoots (in Cowes, East Cowes, Sandown, Ryde, and Ventnor).
The Committee noted there are currently performance issues with four of these pharmacies due to Jhoots being unable to source and employ pharmacists to staff the pharmacies, leading to frequent temporary suspensions of service.
However, the Committee said its current decision was in relation to the Jhoots pharmacy at Ventnor.
The pharmacy has been closed since March 2025, and the local surgery has raised concerns because of a backlog of prescriptions from April, which were later reissued.
Jhoots lawyers Temple Bright LLP had earlier appealed against the Commissioner’s decision, stating that the ICB decision was "neither justifiable nor proportionate".
They said the ICB was wrong to conclude that Jhoots would not be in a position to recommence services at the pharmacy outlet.
They said the ICB had been given assurances that a permanent, employed pharmacist had been secured to work in the pharmacy and it would re-commence from 1 August.
"The ICB appears to have accepted the Company’s position in relation to the reopening of the Pharmacy but, for reasons which are not clear in its decision, it decided to remove the Pharmacy because services would not be commenced before 1 August," they added.
The NHS Resolution has said that Jhoots Pharmacy has a right of appeal to the Secretary of State against this decision, and it can do so within 30 days.
Last month, Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock told the House of Commons that services at the performance of various outlets under the Jhoots Pharmacy chain were below the mark.
The minister said both the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and NHS integrated care boards were taking regulatory action against individual pharmacies, which could be struck off.
In a related development, the locum pharmacists have launched legal action against businesses operated by Sarbjit Jhooty and Nilam Patel over unpaid fees, C+D had reported.
All the 151 Jhoots branches are owned, at least in part, by either Sarbjit or Manjit Jhooty.
The financial mismanagement only relates to the pharmacies under the ownership and operation of Sarbjit Jhooty, who runs 129 outlets.
Manjit Jhooty, Director of Jhoots Healthcare Ltd and Pasab Ltd, owns and operates 21 pharmacies.
