MORE restrictions could be on the way for GPs who dispense medicines to their own patients.

If there is a pharmacy within a mile of their main practice surgery they could be banned from doing so.

It is only a suggestion at the moment in a new Government White Paper called Pharmacy in England but the implications are causing concern for many family doctors in Herefordshire.

Hereford's Conservative candidate Jesse Norman has been sounding out the views of local doctors and says that if implemented the effects could be ruinous for rural surgeries.

Herefordshire GPs can now dispense medicines to all patients in their practice unless that patient lives within one mile of a pharmacist.

Now it seems that if a pharmacist is within one mile of a GP practice GPs might only be able to write a prescription which will be dealt with at an outside pharmacy.

Mr Norman said one in four of patients in Herefordshire relied on their doctors rather than chemists, for medicines.

"For this service the surgery is remunerated, like a chemist. Many rural surgeries run branch surgeries in the smaller villages and these are especially reliant on funding from dispensing income,'' said Mr Norman.

"The GPs offer a quick and convenient local service. Take away that income and some branches may well be forced to close, while main surgery services could be reduced due to lack of revenue.

"Sick patients would not be able to get their medication as they leave the surgery at present, but would have to go by car or public transport into Hereford or a market town.

"We see the same pattern in Government policy again and again. Whether it is Post Offices, schools or the NHS the Government sees determined to destroy the quality of life in rural areas,'' claimed Mr Norman.

In a statement Herefordshire Primary Care Trust said it welcomed the publication of the White Paper but recognised that the proposals to change the rules around dispensing doctors was concerning some concern.

"We will be carefully considering the full implications for Herefordshire in the event these proposals are adopted by the Department of Health,'' it said.

E-mail Liz Watkins at liz.watkins@midlands. newsquest.co.uk