Patients in Gloucestershire no longer need a GP appointment to be treated for common conditions
The NHS is launching its Pharmacy First scheme which is hoped to free up 10 million GP appointments by next winter.
Last updated 31st Jan 2024
The new Pharmacy First Service will enable community pharmacists to treat some conditions without the need for the patient to visit their GP.
The NHS has said, alongside expansions to the pharmacy blood pressure checking and contraception services, the scheme will save up to 10 million GP team appointments a year.
They also said it will help patients access quicker and more convenient care.
Pharmacists will now be able to treat patients with common conditions including sore throat, infected insect bites, urinary tract infections, shingles, and sinusitis.
Emma Skillet, a community pharmacist in Gloucester, said: "It will allow pharmacists to further utilise their skills. And it will reduce pressures on GP surgeries and the NHS, releasing capacity at surgeries to focus on more complicated cases.
"Patients will not need a GP appointment to get access to advice or treatment for seven common conditions, instead they will be able to go into their local pharmacy where they will be able to speak to a pharmacist who can provide advice and treatment without the need for an appointment."
Patients who need additional support will be referred to a GP or another healthcare provider.