Key facts: Swindon
- NHS pharmacies in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (2024/25)
- 149
- Opened / closed in the year
- 8 / 12
- Run by independents
- 43.0% (England 49.9%)
- Items dispensed per pharmacy
- 105,691 (England 104,192)
- NMS consultations per pharmacy
- 520 (England 508)
- NHS commissioner
- NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB
Source: NHS Business Services Authority, General Pharmaceutical Services 2024/25, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire figures. 37 ICBs outside London are ranked.
Swindon pharmacies: who owns them
149 community pharmacies dispensed NHS prescriptions across NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB, the ICB that covers Swindon, in 2024/25. 64 were run by independent contractors with five or fewer pharmacies and 85 by multiples: 43.0% independent against 49.9% nationally, 23rd highest of 37 ICBs outside London.
With multiples holding more of the market than nationally, an independent pharmacy that comes up for sale here can draw competing buyers. Having finance lined up before you offer helps.
Pharmacy openings and closures, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire
The year brought 12 closures and 8 openings, leaving 4 fewer pharmacies. As a share of the network, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire lost 8.1% to closure, set against 6.4% nationally (rank 9 of 37).
When a pharmacy closes, its prescriptions move to those that remain. That can lift volumes at a well-placed pharmacy, but lenders want to see the uplift in dispensing figures, not only in a forecast.
Next door, Gloucester (Gloucestershire) saw 4 openings and 4 closures among 109 pharmacies, Bristol (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) saw 8 openings and 10 closures among 166 pharmacies and Reading (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West) saw 12 openings and 15 closures among 262 pharmacies.
Dispensing volumes and NHS services
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire pharmacies dispensed 15,748,005 items in 2024/25, 105,691 per pharmacy against 104,192 for England (15th busiest of 37 ICBs). 97.9% of items went through the Electronic Prescription Service. With volumes near the England norm, the individual pharmacy's direction of travel matters more than the area figure.
Hypertension case-finding ran in 126 Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire pharmacies (84.6%, England 86.4%); the area also delivered 77,515 New Medicine Service consultations and 65,366 NHS flu vaccinations in 2024/25. A strong services record gives a lender more than one income stream to rely on.
Financing a Swindon pharmacy purchase
A lender looking at a Swindon pharmacy will compare its items and services with the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire picture, then read the lease and your track record. Remember stock at completion and NHS payments in arrears: working capital often sits beside the acquisition loan. Our guide to buying a pharmacy covers the steps. The practice purchase loan calculator shows repayments against profit.
Premises, regulation and security
A pharmacy freehold bought in England is subject to Stamp Duty Land Tax on non-residential rates. Any premises loan is secured by a legal charge registered with HM Land Registry. If the building is rented, lenders read the lease closely: a short unexpired term caps the loan term.
The incoming owner applies for the NHS change of ownership and registers the premises with the General Pharmaceutical Council; lenders expect both in hand before completion.
Lenders for Swindon pharmacies
There is no Swindon lender panel. Lenders that understand pharmacies work across the country, so we search the whole market for each case. Fees depend on the lender and nothing is charged upfront.
Common questions
Are Swindon pharmacies opening or closing?
In 2024/25, 8 opened and 12 closed across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, leaving 149 on NHS Business Services Authority figures.
How busy are pharmacies in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire?
They averaged 105,691 items each in 2024/25, against 104,192 across England.
Do Swindon pharmacies offer NHS flu vaccinations?
117 of the 149 pharmacies in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire gave NHS flu vaccinations in 2024/25, 65,366 in total.
