Portland residents are being urged to change their chemist ahead of the closure of Boots Pharmacy in Fortuneswell.

Royal Manor Health Care (RMHC) has issued a warning to patients to change their pharmacy 'before the last minute' as it can take 10 working days to process the request.

The Fortuneswell Boots Pharmacy is set to close on February 17.

This will leave just the Boots Pharmacy in Easton as the sole chemist on the island.

RMHC is urging its patients to also order their first batch of medication with the GP surgery to make sure details of their medication are sent to the new pharmacy.

A spokesperson for the RMHC said: "It is imperative that you change your chemist from Fortuneswell to an alternative of your choice, however, you must remember it is your responsibility to order the first batch of medication with the GP surgery - the new chemist will not have any details about you or know the medication you are taking.

"Please do not leave it to the last minute as it can take up to 10 working days for any chemist to process your request.

"The surgery has just over 12,500 thousand patients which means Easton will have a similar number of patients who require medication to dispense.

"Once you have collected your first order the chemist will then be able to manage the ordering going forward - please inform them if you wish this to happen.

"When sending in your medication to the surgery please ensure that you tick all that you require. If the box is left blank and unchecked, we will not issue any medication."

News of the Fortuneswell Boots closure has worried residents, who do not believe the Boots in Easton will be able to handle demand, and that the hill poses a geographic obstacle for some.

Earlier this month more than 50 residents attended a public meeting to try and come up with solutions to the problem, including courting another pharmacy to take over or even opening a community pharmacy.

At the weekend, Portland Mayor Carralyn Parkes joined residents in a walk from the Gatehouse Surgery to the Easton Boots to demonstrate the difficulty faced by residents.