A PHARMACIST at the heart of his community says he is being forced to sell his business because of NHS cuts.

West Oxford chemist Pupinder Ghatora, who was recognised by the former Prime Minister David Cameron for his commitment to patients during the Oxford floods, says he is heartbroken to be selling his pharmacy.

For more than a decade, Mr Ghatora and his wife Sandy, have served the community from Woodlands Pharmacy, in Botley Road, ensuring their 3,000 patients get the care and medicine they need. But on Wednesday, the 40-year-old will leave his shop for the last time and hand the keys over to a new owner.

In October 2016, pharmacists suffered a £170m cut, which shrank their budgets for dispensing medicine, staff costs and services by six per cent.

This year the Government announced further budget cuts to pharmacists, which would see another £160m taken away – reportedly due to an overspend in previous years.

Father-of-three Mr Ghatora said "I thought I would be doing this until I retired, but unfortunately this is what the NHS has done to independent pharmacists like me."

He added: "I never wanted it to come to this, but it was just getting crazy. I would come home after a day's work, put the children to bed and then afterwards my wife and I would go back and continue working.

"We are exhausted and we cannot keep working like this.

"It is really gutting for me because I am going to miss everyone. I know all of my patients and it feels like part of my family will be gone."

Mr Ghatora, who with four of his staff donned Wellingtons and delivered medication to elderly residents on foot in West Oxford during the 2014 floods, said the crippling cuts faced by pharmacists forced him to make this decision.

He added: "I run the pharmacy with one less person than I should simply because I cannot afford to hire another member of staff.

"As well as not being paid enough by the NHS to run the pharmacy we've also been hit by Waitrose setting up down the road. My over the counter trade has just plummeted since it opened because you can buy everything in there. They have a whole section dedicated to health."

A spokesman for Waitrose said: "We only want to see Botley Road thrive so are saddened to hear that a local business has had a difficult time, however the range of medicines we offer is no different to those available at other supermarkets.

"Our aim has always been to provide a good service for customers which, along with the 90 minutes free parking we offer, would encourage more people to come to the area and use other local shops."

Support has flooded in for the pharmacist with customer Elly Godfroy writing on social media that she was sad to hear of his departure.

She said: "Thank you Pupinder for helping us with support and advice over the years, especially when our children were young.

"We have been so lucky to have you at the heart of our community. Wishing you and your family all the best for the future."

Customers Pat and Chris Rooney praised the "great care and attention" they had received from Mr Ghatora and his team over the years.

They added: "It is such a comfort to know we have people who understand our diverse needs, you and your staff will be greatly missed in our community and we wish you luck and good health in any new venture you choose in the future."

Last year Mr Ghatora started a petition in the pharmacy calling for the Government to stop funding cuts to pharmacies.

He said: "I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with not being able to run a business properly.

"If you are being squeezed and squeezed, your margins are disappearing and your income is decreasing because of the NHS deciding it has paid £160m too much to you and they are taking it back. What other choice does it leave you?

"The elephant in the room needs to be addressed: how can we provide the services if the funding is not available."

Mr Ghatora will be taking a few months off before he returns to business making and selling a new health supplement called Ingenious Beauty.

Oxford City Councillor Susanna Pressel said: "It’s very sad to hear that Mr Ghatora has decided to sell up after being such a popular part of the community for 12 years.

"He has been endlessly helpful to local people, delivering dozens of prescriptions every day, including during the floods. He will be sorely missed."

Woodlands Pharmacy will continue to operate and will now be run by a business owner who has three other pharmacies in the city.

The Department of Health declined to comment.