The MP for North Cornwall has issued an update amid plans to close an in-store pharmacy.

It had been previously announced that Asda were set to close their pharmacy in their Bodmin branch at the end of July 2024.

Scott Mann, the Conservative MP for North Cornwall, said after the news emerged that he was seeking a meeting with Asda bosses to discuss the closure of the branch.

He wrote a letter on behalf of constituents explaining the hardship that it would cause, and requesting a meeting with Cornish MPs to discuss the issues that would be caused as a result.

However, in his latest update, the MP reported that the supermarket chain would not share footfall data with him, and declined an invitation to meet with members of parliament to discuss it.

He added that despite Asda suggesting that a lack of full time pharmacist was a primary reason for implementing the upcoming closure, they would not engage with offers from pharmacists who were willing to discuss taking on the in-store pharmacy to allow services to continue.

Mr Mann said: “Last week I wrote to ASDA to ask them about the situation at their Bodmin store, and to make the feelings of people in North Cornwall known to their management. Unfortunately, the response was not positive, and ASDA would not share any information with me concerning footfall or figures to back up their reason for the closure, citing commercial confidentiality.

“My office requested a direct meeting between ASDA and Cornish MPs, but they declined to meet with us. I am very disappointed in ASDA and their lack of engagement with me on behalf of the local community. The store in Bodmin employs local people and it is local shoppers who spend their money in the store. ASDA's profits went up 24% to £1.1bn in 2023, and it is hard to accept that the company have a good financial reason to remove the in-store pharmacy in Bodmin.

“The company also suggested that the lack of a full-time pharmacist was a primary reason for the closure, I can appreciate this is an issue for them, however, I have been contacted by pharmacists who would have been prepared to discuss taking on the service in-store. Their lack of engagement means that this offer cannot be made.

“I will continue to work on the situation concerning the pharmacy and I will be speaking to the CEO of Community Pharmacy Cornwall to discuss what other options are available to us.

“Once again, many thanks to all the constituents, and people in other parts of Cornwall who have written in to me to express their support.”

In response, a spokesperson for Asda said: “Our Bodmin pharmacy has been loss making for a number of years due to a continuous decline in customer usage and we have now reached a position where it is no longer financially viable to keep it open. We are now entering a period of consultation with our colleagues on these proposals and will do all we can to support them through this process.

“Whilst we appreciate this decision may be disappointing for some local residents, we remain committed to supporting the local community and recently launched an online prescription service which offers convenient home delivery at no extra cost.”