A mum is campaigning for an out-of-hours pharmacy on the Island after she was forced to drive more than 17 miles to get urgent medication.

Tracy Baker, of Alma Street, Sheerness, has asthma. After catching a cold, it got worse until she could barely breathe last weekend.

Last Sunday, after finishing work at Flynn’s Bee Farm, Brambledown, she drove herself to the DMC walk-in clinic at Sheppey Community Hospital in Minster at about 4.45pm.

She was told she had a chest infection and given a prescription and although they had the steroids she needed, the 44-year-old was told they couldn’t be given to her because she’s not a minor and the pharmacy was closed.

Instead, she had to drive 17.2 miles to St Mary’s Island in Chatham, to the ironically named Island Pharmacy.

“I could barely walk because I couldn’t breathe and I had to pull over and was on the verge of calling myself an ambulance twice on the drive to Chatham,” she said.

“Why have we got a doctors’ surgery open that can’t provide you with necessary medication?

“What’s the point if they can’t help you? They may as well be closed.

“It’s disgusting and ridiculous. They had the drugs I needed and refused to give them to me.”

She also said it is difficult for some people to make the journey to Medway and that public transport is inadequate and it’s dangerous for people to drive if unwell.

Ms Baker is petitioning Swale Clinical Commissioning Group (SCCG), which was set up after a national reorganisation of the health service to give the borough’s GPs a greater say in the annual medical budget.

She’s calling for a pharmacy on the Island to be open after 4pm on a Sunday, which is when others close, and is hoping for at least 300 signatures.

“They keep putting up houses, but not upping the services which isn’t acceptable,” the mum-of-three added.

“I wasn’t aware the problem existed until I needed it so people should support [the petition] because you never know when you might need it.”

A spokesman for Swale Clinical Commissioning Group said it is aware of the complaint and although it does not have control over pharmacies, it may be able to influence the Kent and Medway Area Team and welcomes people’s views.

The spokesman said: “Very few areas in the UK have pharmacy cover during this time because supermarkets are closed.”

They said the DMC centre is not an out-of-hours service and has no facilities to dispense medication. They recommended calling the 111 helpline or the minor injuries walk-in unit where medics have access to medication.

The spokesman added: “We were surprised to hear Ms Baker says she was shown a packet of steroid tablets and was told she could only be given them if she was a child.

“We have asked the centre for an explanation and will review whether further action is required to improve the service.”