Newcastle pharmaceutical group boosts vaccination effort with new six-figure premises

Newcastle-based pharmaceutical group Welcome Health Pharmacies has acquired new premises in Whitley Bay to support its Covid-19 vaccination programme, with support from Lloyds Bank.

The group was founded in 2016 after acquiring its first pharmacy in Skelton. The business has since added four further chemists to its portfolio in locations across Teesside and North Tyneside and is “hoping to add new sites over the coming years”.

Over the course of the pandemic, Welcome Health Pharmacies has worked closely with the NHS to assist with the vaccine rollout, with the firm’s Whitley Bay pharmacy acting as a key site for vaccination administrations.

The business hopes to continue supporting the NHS with the Phase 3 booster vaccination programme. To ensure a smooth rollout, the firm has decided to move to a larger premises in the town that will allow more patients to be seen and new services to be added.

In addition, the new, larger premises will enable the hiring of four new staff, bringing the team size to eight. The group currently staffs a total of 60.

To facilitate the move, Welcome Health Pharmacies approached Lloyds Bank, receiving a six-figure funding package along with a refinancing agreement.

The financial support helped the business acquire a new three-story pharmacy on Whitley Road, doubling the size of the firm’s current Whitley Bay base. The new 2,500 sq ft premises is currently undergoing a full refurbishment and will open its doors in December.

Vaibhav Chhatwal, director of Welcome Health Pharmacies, said: “Our teams across all five of our pharmacies have played a key role in Phases 1 and 2 of the vaccine rollout, and we’re keen to keep supporting where we can.

“With Phase 3 now underway, we wanted to do everything possible to help the local community which is why we have decided to expand our base in Whitley Bay.

Lisa Hay, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “With the coronavirus vaccination effort continuing at pace, the North East remains one of the regions with the highest vaccine uptake, with over 11.5m doses administered so far.”