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An independent pharmacist has said a large sinkhole which has opened near her pharmacy has disrupted the supply of medicines and water to it and made it difficult for patients to reach them.

Ifesi Anyamene, who runs Godstone Pharmacy in Surrey, told Independent Community Pharmacist the sinkhole, which led to the closure of the high street and pedestrian walkways, is only 25 meters away from the business and has “hit it hard”.

She said the sinkhole has reduced the pharmacy’s footfall “because people didn’t know if we were open or how to get here” and claimed local authorities failed to update her team about the situation.

We didn’t get any communication or safety updates from local authorities

“We didn’t get any communication or safety updates from local authorities, which left us worried about everyone’s safety and feeling pretty much in the dark,” Anyamene said.

She said medicines deliveries to her pharmacy from wholesalers are being impacted by road closures because of “a lack of clear signs showing alternative routes.” She insisted her staff have pushed for new signs to be put up but to no avail.

However, Anyamene said her team resiliently continues to meet patients’ needs despite the drama, posting updates on Facebook to let people know they are still open.

In a statement today, Surrey County Council said it was “working as quickly and safely as possible to support residents and return the situation to normal”. However, it warned “the full-scale repair of the site will likely take several weeks, if not months".

Our team proved how dedicated they are to patients' wellbeing

“This is now being treated as an ongoing significant incident as work continues to ensure the site is stable and repair work can begin,” the Council said. “All agencies remain focused on that work and are working together effectively.”

Paying tribute to her team, Anyamene said: “Even with all this uncertainty and no reassurance from the Council, our team kept showing up, proving just how dedicated they are to our patients' wellbeing.

“Staying open as an essential service wasn’t easy and it took a toll on our team’s mental health as we tried to figure things out on our own.

“We were flooded with phone calls from patients looking for information and reassurance because they weren’t sure how to reach us for their much-needed medicines.

“On top of that, people in the community were using us as a go-to for local news, asking about other businesses nearby. Many came in just to talk about what was going on, showing how important our role is in the community.”

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