A HOSPITAL pharmacy has made a U-turn on a recent policy to stop accepting cash payments following objections by patients.

Members of the Oxford African Caribbean Conversation (OACC) complained after a public notice was put up at the pharmacy at the John Radcliffe Hospital that chemists will only take card and contactless payments during the Covid-19 crisis.

The sign, which was first seen in October, was worrying for a number of elderly and vulnerable people who rely on cash and struggle paying with cards, the OACC’s secretary Chaka Artwell said.

Speaking about the ‘blatant financial discrimination’ Mr Artwell, who lives in Oxford, said: “OACC contacted the JR Hospital in October expressing our concerns.

“Public notices denying patients the ability to pay by cash is discriminatory and illegal.

“Cash remains the only legal form of exchange in England, while all other forms of exchange are accepted as a courtesy.”

After the OACC contacted the hospital in October, the notice was removed.

It was revealed that this was the deed of a ‘well-meaning’ member of the pharmacy team who was trying to minimise the risk of virus transmission between the employees there and the customers.

A spokesperson for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust commented on the controversy: “Following guidance from NHS England and our Trust Infection Prevention and Control team, a range of measures were put in place to keep patients and staff safe, with an emphasis on reducing contact where possible to minimise the risk of transmission.

“However, our risk assessments did not include refusing cash payments at the Pharmacy Dispensary.

“A notice displayed at the JR Pharmacy reception saying that we were only able to accept card and contactless payment was put up by a well-meaning member of the pharmacy team.

“This was not in line with trust or the pharmacy department policies, and the notice was removed.”

They also confirmed that cash payments were received by pharmacies on all of the hospital sites.

The OUH spokesperson added: “It has been made clear to them that cash can always be accepted for payment.

“We apologise for what was a misguided but well-intentioned decision by one of our members of staff and regret any inconvenience caused to patients and their relatives.”

While the cash debacle at the JR was resolved, a recent study has found that a third of British consumers have been stopped from paying in cash for a service since the Covid-19 crisis erupted.

Some 34 per cent of people reported they were not allowed to pay with cash at least once when trying to buy something since March 2020, according to Which?.