Norfolk patient group cautiously welcomes plans to ease pressure on GPs
Treatment for seven common illnesses will soon be available directly from the chemist
A patient group from Norfolk has cautiously welcomed new government plans to ease pressure on our GPs.
The new blueprint means treatment for seven common illnesses will soon be available directly from the local chemist, including for ear ache and a sore throat.
As part of this scheme, pharmacists themselves would be able to write the prescriptions under reforms ministers hope will be introduced this winter, after talks with the industry.
It's being backed by £645 million in spending.
It's also hoped that the number of people able to access blood pressure checks in pharmacies would more than double to 2.5 million a year.
"On paper it's a really good thing"
John Bultitude is from Healthwatch Norfolk:
"It's no good pointing people to a new service that doesn't actually exist. So what we would want to see is that investment and infrastructure is put in place, so that this works. On paper it's a really good thing.
"Anything that can free up GPs and give them more time and then help to preserve pharmacies, is a great thing. The thing that we will be worried about is whether the staffing is there to make it happen.
"We are aware of hours being reduced in some pharmacies. We have also seen a number of pharmacies close across Norfolk, as well".
"It is that resource issue that is coming up again and again"
"It is that resource issue that is coming up again and again, particularly in somewhere like Norfolk. If you are in a major city you have got a choice of where to go to.
"But if you are in a small village where you may need to take a bus, car or taxi to get your medication, it's not always the easiest. There are the online options but we know about connectivity here.
"I think it's all about people. That has been the big thing that we are hearing, pharmacies are struggling in terms of staffing them really, particularly with qualified pharmacists. Pharmacies can't open if that pharmacist is not on site for example.
"So we are hearing around Norfolk that some pharmacies are having to reduce their hours, not because they want to, but because they haven't got the staff".
"Ambitious package"
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the "ambitious package" will help transform how care is provided within the health service.
"This blueprint will help us to free up millions of appointments for those who need them most, as well as supporting staff so that they can do less admin and spend more time with patients," she said.
"We will end the 8am rush"
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
"I am getting on with delivering on my five priorities and transforming primary care is the next part of this Government's promise to cut NHS waiting lists," he said.
"I know how frustrating it is to be stuck on hold to your GP practice when you or a family member desperately need an appointment for a common illness.
"We will end the 8am rush and expand the services offered by pharmacies, meaning patients can get their medication quickly and easily."
"He has no plan"
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said:
"Expecting the Conservatives to fix this is like expecting an arsonist to put out the fire they started.
"Rishi Sunak is completely out of touch with the problems facing patients and the NHS. He has no plan to address the shortage of GPs, or to reverse the cut in the number of doctors trained every year.
"The Conservatives' announcement is merely tinkering at edges, in contrast to the fundamental reform the NHS needs and Labour is offering."
"Just don't seem to grasp the scale"
Lib Dem Health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper added:
"Accessing faster care is critical for patients but ministers just don't seem to grasp the scale of the problem.
"Without a serious plan to recruit the pharmacists and GPs that our NHS needs, this could be yet another Conservative health pledge not worth the paper it's written on."