Patients say they have been “left in the lurch” by the closure of vital pharmacy services - with some even threatening to forgo collecting important medication due to long queues.

The drastic move has sparked a senior GP to plead with people not to miss picking up prescriptions after the sudden loss of two chemists in Whitstable threw the service into chaos.

Increased pressure was put on the remaining pharmacies around the town after the Cheadles stores shut down last month but a doctor says others in the area are now managing the workload better.

The closure of the Seasalter chemists and the service operating out of the Estuary View medical centre has led to the community hitting out at a “lack of support” offered following the demise of the two branches.

Rowland Cruttenden and Hamish Smilley, both of Seasalter, spoke of the issue - with warnings the elderly community will struggle to adapt.

Mr Cruttenden said: “A lot of people don’t have cars and we don’t have a good bus service so unless you’ve got family or can get a taxi you’re really stuck.

“You’ve got a community of elderly people who just can’t manage. Doctors tell us to use pharmacies but ours is closed so we need to go back to doctors where we can’t get appointments.

“We feel as though we’ve been left in the lurch - it’s a really vital service around here and without it people will be forced to go without.

“It’s got to be somebody’s responsibility. Who that is, we don’t know, but we can’t afford to not have this service.”

Mr Smilley added: “I thought there was an element of friendship. You begin to trust people working there, but we really weren’t made aware [about the threat of closure].”

Mr Cruttenden requires prescriptions for a heart condition and Mr Smilley suffers from type 1 diabetes while his wife also has a heart condition and cancer of the liver.

With the recent closures, the nearest pharmacy to Seasalter is either at Tesco Extra in Milstrood Road or Boots in Whitstable High Street.

Both are more than a mile away, leaving many elderly residents scrambling to find alternative arrangements.

And Mr Cruttenden has said even with those, residents face being forced to make multiple trips with lengthy waits as pharmacists make do with the extra demands.

“We’ve all been forced to go elsewhere, queue for an hour and a half just to be told to come back another day,” he began.

“When you go back that other day it’s not always ready, it’s clear the other pharmacies are having this huge influx thrust upon them.

“We need somebody to take this over as another chemist or provide another service which can help those who can’t drive and limit the number of trips others are making.

"I’m just surprised nobody has done anything about it and there’s been no advice - we’ve not been given any help or any idea what happens in the near future.”

When asked what they would like to see happen, both men said it was clear the need for a chemist facility in Seasalter was still very much a priority and suggested a mobile pharmacist to visit the village could ease the pressure.

An operator such as E-Nova Healthcare requires a licence acquired from the NHS - entitling it to dispense prescriptions.

However, the exact reasons for the recent closures are still unclear, with many citing difficulty in sourcing supplies - though E-Nova Healthcare Limited, the company which runs the affected Cheadles shops, has been in administration since July 28

On that same day, the Estuary View and Seasalter pharmacies were closed down.

Whitstable Medical Practice said at the time the branches would be shut “until further notice” after “unforeseen circumstances”.

Dr John Ribchester, senior and executive partner at Whitstable Medical Practice, told KentOnline he felt pharmacists in and around Whitstable would continue to adjust to the rise in demand.

“Rather alarmingly, I’ve heard people say ‘if I have to queue for my medication, I’m not going to bother’ which is clearly health-threatening if not life-threatening,” the GP said.

“But there’s quite a lot left. Initially there was chaos because suddenly they ceased trading but I’m aware some of the other pharmacies have increased their staff very rapidly.

“I’m hoping for our patients’ sake that the worst is now over and the other pharmacies can cope with a large number of prescriptions.

“Pharmacy services in Whitstable are under pressure but they’re adapting as quickly as they possibly can, which is good to see.”

According to Dr Ribchester, there are five remaining community pharmacists in Whitstable: Boots on the High Street, Tyrell and Jones in Tower Parade, Tesco Pharmacy in Milstrood Road, Tankerton Pharmacy on Tankerton Road, and Swalecliffe Pharmacy in St John's Road.

Meanwhile, the Cheadles branch in Whitstable high street remains open but is operating at a limited capacity due to supply issues.

KentOnline has made repeated attempts to contact E-Nova Healthcare Limited.