The row about withdrawing the rights of doctors to issue medicines in their own surgeries saw campaigners hand a petition with hundreds of signatures protesting against the proposals to North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb.

The row about withdrawing the rights of doctors to issue medicines in their own surgeries saw campaigners hand a petition with hundreds of signatures protesting against the proposals to North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb.

As reported last week in the North Norfolk News, a Pharmacy White Paper proposes pulling all dispensing services out of GP surgeries and only allowing pharmacies to hand over medicines.

The issue has attracted criticism all over the country, although it is particularly relevant in north Norfolk because all 18 practices in the North Norfolk Health Consortium dispense to at least some of their patients. And it is expected that all but one or two of the 18 could be hit by a rule change.

Evelyn Eggleton was one of those to present a petition to Mr Lamb, which will be used alongside another petition Mr Lamb has launched himself to lobby the government on the plan.

“We are all very concerned,” said Mrs Eggleton, who lives in Briston.

“And the signatures we have collected in shops and surgeries show just how many people feel the same way. It would upset a lot of people if this were to happen.”

Mr Lamb, who is also the Lib Dem health spokesman, has said previously that the issue has seen him receive more correspondence than any other subject since he came to parliament in 2001.

“And the letters keep coming, more than 600 so far, so it is clear how deeply concerned people are.

“It is a service which has an enormous convenience and value, especially in rural areas and especially for older people.

“It is a vital service and crazy to contemplate getting rid of it.”