PATIENTS in Crossgates were left waiting in the rain when a village pharmacy didn't open up due to a staff shortage.

One woman in need of a repeat prescription said many people simply "walked away" from the Well Pharmacy soaked through after waiting more than an hour for a pharmacist to arrive.

The Main Street chemist was due to open at 11.30am on Saturday but a pharmacist didn't arrive until 1pm.

NHS Fife say the temporary suspension of services was due to the cancellation of a locum pharmacist at short notice who was due to cover the morning opening.

A post on Crossgates Community Facebook page on Saturday showed a photo of patients queuing and claimed that 16 people were standing outside for 50 minutes after it was due to open but many had walked away already "soaked to the skin".

The woman said: "This is what we are up against trying to get a repeat prescription. Is this this the new normal? The world has gone mad."

Many replied to the post expressing anger at the situation, with several saying they had been forced to change pharmacy.

It's not the first time that Well Pharmacy has experienced staffing issues in West Fife. Just over three months ago, the company said that some shops had to operate on reduced hours in Dunfermline because a number of staff had to self-isolate. One pharmacist was covering two stores in Dunfermline – St Andrew's Street and Douglas Street – due to the shortage.

The issue affecting the Crossgates Pharmacy was raised at the village's community council meeting this week.

Maureen Cuthbertson, chair of the community council, told the Press: "I believe this situation has happened more than once.

"Local councillors have advised us to write to the practice manager at Crossgates Medical Centre to ask for a meeting with the doctors and pharmacist to try to alleviate some of these problems.

"There are also a lot of concerns about trying to get a face-to-face GP appointment.

"People are ringing literally hundreds of times to try and get through in the morning and I believe some just give up.

"I've been told about a man who has been diagnosed with skin cancer and basically had to insist on getting an appointment. He had a persistent itch and he knew something wasn't right.

"If he had just walked away he could be in a worse position now.

"Crossgates has tripled in size in the last 30 years but we still only have two doctors.

"Across the board, it just seems that people in the community are not getting the service they deserve and respect."

An NHS Fife spokesperson said: "NHS Fife is aware of the temporary suspension of pharmacy services at the Well Pharmacy in Crossgates on the morning of Saturday the 9th of October. This suspension was as a result of the locum pharmacist booked to cover the Saturday morning opening cancelling at short notice.

"A pharmacist was deployed from the Rosyth branch of the Well Pharmacy and started work at Crossgates at 1pm.

"The pharmacy staff kept patients fully informed of the situation, with some choosing to wait while other patients were advised at what time to return to the pharmacy to collect their prescriptions.

"Everyone who urgently required their medication received it on the Saturday."