South East Health's commercial sister company, South East Health Plus, has recently opened a pharmacy in Bexhill.
Trackside Pharmacy, so called because of its location in a former parcel room at Bexhill Station, is open 100 hours a week, every week of the year.
Just like the big brand pharmacies at large city stations, Trackside Pharmacy capitalises on the centrality, high visibility and accessibility of a station location. It provides a convenient resource for commuters and regular travellers, as well as people living locally, and is accessible to a maximum number of patients and customers.
Trackside Pharmacy provides over the counter and prescription medications. With two treatment rooms, it also has facilities for cardiac monitoring, dietary consultancy, cholesterol and other tests.
“This is such a high profile location that people will remember the pharmacy’s here – even when they’re not travelling,” says South East Health Plus Service Development Manager Lisa Phillimore. “Passenger takings and throughput at the station have increased by eight per cent in the last year, which has to be good news for us.”
This new initiative came about when South East Heath Plus approached Southern – operator of the Grade II listed Bexhill Station – after spotting a vacancy sign. Southern had recently completed a £185,000 refurbishment, restoring the late Victorian station to its original splendour, and wanted to let out the disused parcel room.
South East Health Plus has subsequently converted the parcel room into a pharmacy with the help of a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust.
