Enter and view: Day Lewis Pharmacy,Wadebridge

Healthwatch Cornwall undertook an enter and view visit to Day Lewis Pharmacy in Wadebridge on 15 December 2025. The purpose of the visit was to observe the service, speak with patients and staff, and identify areas for improvement to enhance patient experience and wellbeing. 

During the visit, Healthwatch spoke to three staff members and fifteen patients, and observed the pharmacy environment and operations. Overall, the pharmacy was found to be calm, orderly, and staffed by courteous employees, with generally positive interactions between patients and staff. 

The pharmacy serves a large local population of around 24,000 people and offers prescription dispensing, over-the-counter products, and a Pharmacy First service. It also uses an automated dispensing system accessible both inside and outside the premises, although the pharmacy is closed at weekends. 

Observations identified several issues. Although online information about the pharmacy was accurate, some services could not be fully booked online. Confidentiality risks were noted, as staff conversations about patients could be overheard in the store. There were also accessibility challenges with the automated dispensing system, including difficulty reaching medicines and a lack of awareness that it could be accessed indoors. 

Patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with all respondents praising the friendliness of staff, short waiting times, and quality of service. Patients valued being able to access Pharmacy First consultations, sometimes without appointments, and reported good experiences with vaccination services and medication provision under patient group directions. 

However, patients also highlighted some problems. These included difficulties using the automated dispensing system, particularly when it was out of order or physically hard to access, as well as occasional medication stock shortages and delays. Some patients were unable to book flu vaccinations due to lack of supply, and others experienced uncertainty about when medicines would be available. 

Staff feedback was generally positive about the workplace and patient relationships. However, staff reported challenges with limited engagement from local GP surgeries and a lack of referrals to the Pharmacy First service. Despite these issues, the pharmacy reported being able to dispense most prescriptions within a day and valued the benefits of existing clinical services. 

The report makes several recommendations for improvement. These include strengthening confidentiality practices, improving accessibility and reliability of the automated dispensing system, providing clearer information when services or equipment are unavailable, enhancing signage and website updates, improving communication with patients about medication availability, and building stronger collaboration with GP practices.