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A recently published administrators’ report reveals that SNJ Health, one of several companies that operated pharmacies trading under the Jhoots brand, had over £11m in outstanding debts when insolvency proceedings began late last year. 

These debts included hundreds of thousands owed to individuals who appear to have worked for the company before its branches were bought by Allied Pharmacies – as well as almost £3,000 owed to luxury car makers Aston Martin. 

The revelations come as Jhoots Pharmacy Limited, another associated company, announces it has also been put into administration in a separate process. 

Administrators Martin Armstrong and Andrew Bailey of accountancy firm Turpin Barker Armstrong detailed in their December 23 report – which went live on Companies House last week – how SNJ Health, responsible for over 60 Jhoots branches, “suffered catastrophically” in the period before one of its largest creditors moved to have it put into administration.  

The administrators declared that they also handled the liquidation of Diamond DCO Two Limited, the final trading name used by LloydsPharmacy before the brand disappeared from the high street, with Jhoots-related companies acquiring many former Lloyds branches. 

In separate proceedings, administrators Ian James Corfield and Rajnesh Mittal of FRP Advisory were appointed to handle the insolvency of Jhoots Pharmacy Limited on December 29, according to a posting in The Gazette last week. This will see the ownership of a further 68 branches transferred to Allied Pharmacies. 

‘Severe distress' 

The “severe financial distress” SNJ Health was under saw the company lose £1.2m in the 12 months to July 31, 2025 according to management accounts that “have not been verified for accuracy,” the administrators said, and meant that by December just three SNJ-owned pharmacies remained open.

“Landlord enforcement action” had been taken against some branches, while employee wages “had not been paid since July 2025 and “critical wholesalers” had put the company ‘on stop’ due to non-payment of bills.  

The pharmacies were sold to Allied Pharmacies in a pre-pack sale for a total consideration of £4,750,000 in order to realise money to pay secured debts. SNJ Health had made some branch sale agreements to third parties without creditors' approval that had to be called off in order to facilitate the sale to Allied Pharmacies, the report details. 

The administrators commented: “The sale agreements require the purchaser to settle the employees' arrears of wages, and the total final consideration payable will be reduced accordingly. 

“These arrears are estimated were estimated to total £500,000 although it is now expected that this is less since it transpired that a large number of employees had resigned prior to the joint administrators' appointment.”

Employees who had resigned were directed to the Redundancy Payments Service to make their claims. 

£11m owed to 177 creditors  

The report lists 177 creditors owed a combined total of £11,046,131. As the fixed charge holder, lending company Rx Bridge is owed just over £2.7m and is expected to have this debt “discharged in full”.  

Rx Bridge brought insolvency proceedings after SNJ Health failed to make repayments despite providing “repeated assurances” that it would.  

Other creditors include wholesalers AAH Pharmaceuticals, which is owed over £3.5m, Lexon (£1.7m), Bestway (£307,915) and Phoenix (£43,271). 

Also included in the list of creditors are the names of 65 individuals, many of them corresponding to entries for pharmacists listed on the GPhC register, suggesting some may be among the locum workers known to be owed significant outstanding sums by the company. 

These named individuals are owed a total of £409,685 in sums ranging from £71,145 to £22, with the majority owed more than £1,000 and 12 owed more than £10,000. 

The administrators advised locum pharmacists owed money from Jhoots to contact them at Jhoots.creditors.turpinba.co.uk.

Speaking to P3pharmacy, Pharmacists’ Defence Association director Paul Day said the appointment of administrators to Jhoots-affiliated companies does not in itself give clarity to locum pharmacists over whether they will be able to recover their unpaid wages, partly due to the complex arrangements of numerous businesses associated with the brand. 

Mr Day commented: “We have continued to engage with the regulator and the Department of Health and Social Care about this issue. 

“It is clear that the immediate issue is questions as to who now owes debts to our members – the facts need to be cleared up ASAP.  

“In the meantime, we encourage any PDA members to contact us if they have any questions over potential redundancy, transfers to new employers or locum debts.” 

SNJ Health had Nilam Patel as its sole director, with Sarbjit Jhooty – director of the Jhoots Pharmacy Limited business – handling group operations. 

A further 21 branches owned by Manjit Jhooty, brother of Sarbjit, are to be rebranded as JHL Pharmacy in order to distance themselves from the damaged Jhoots brand.