Co-op Pharmacy branches to be rebranded as ‘Well’
The Co-op’s Pharmacy branch is set to be rebranded as Well following a £600m takeover by London-based wholesale group Bestway, which plans to offer patients treatments for minor illnesses in an effort to relieve pressures on GPs.
This will see all 780 outlets overhauled over the next eight months in a £200m investment, bringing to an end a 70 year presence on Britain’s High Streets.
Bestway chief executive John Nuttall said: “Community pharmacies can play a key role in easing the increasingly unsustainable pressures faced by frontline NHS services, beyond simply providing prescriptions.
"Bestway Group's major investment will not only create new jobs, it will also enable the business to develop the role of the pharmacy team to provide personalised healthcare and deliver an excellent patient experience, improving health and reducing health inequalities in local communities in the process."
The Co-operative Group sold off its pharmacy business last year in an effort to repair its balance sheet following losses at its banking arm.
Specialist healthcare advertising agency Langland are responsible for the naming, logo and branding for Well.