GENERAL UNION GMB called for an inquiry into high street pharmacy chain Boots yesterday over an alleged scam costing the NHS £30 million a year.

Evidence has emerged that Boots has been exploiting a system of reassessing patients’ needs for medication at its 2,500 stores nationwide in order to screw extra money out of the NHS.

Under the system, each pharmacy is allowed to reassess the needs of 400 recipients of prescription medication a year, at a cost of £28 per patient.