BEAT THE QUEUE
The 7 common conditions you don’t need to see a GP about – as pharmacy service could free up 40 million appointments
How to spot each of the seven conditions - and when to seek urgent help for them
STRUGGLING to nab an appointment with your GP to get your earache or sore throat seen too?
No need to wait till a slot opens up - you can beat the queue and get those and five more conditions treated by a pharmacist instead.
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This has been made possible by a scheme dubbed Pharmacy First, which launched in pharmacies across England on January 31 last year.
Pharmacists received specialised training to provide advice and treatment for seven common conditions.
In some cases, this may mean referring patients to other parts of the NHS, such as their GP or even A&E.
Under the scheme, pharmacists can also supply medicines for free, which patients could previously only get by seeing a GP.
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A year on, Pharmacy First is now provided by 88 per cent of pharmacies in England - amounting to some 9,200 businesses, according to the Company Chemist's Association (CCA).
This includes pharmacies in chains like Boots or Superdrug, as well as independent chemists.
They provided close to 1.5 million consultations under the scheme, with the CCA estimating that a further million will be provided by April 2025.
"This may be even higher if winter pressures increase patient demand," the CCA said its report on the future of Pharmacy First.
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NHS England said it hopes to see pharmacies provide 6 million Pharmacy First consultations annually.
As it currently stands, the service has the potential to free up over 9 million GP appointments every year.
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But the CCA claimed that as many as 40 million GP appointments could be freed up yearly, if more conditions are added to the scheme and further public awareness is raised.
You can access Pharmacy First by simply walking into your local pharmacy or arranging an online consultation.
Most pharmacies don't require patients to make an appointment.
Patients can also be referred to the pharmacy of their choice by
their GP, NHS111, and some A&E departments.
From a sore throat and earache to infected insect bites and shingles - here are seven conditions to see a pharmacist about instead of a GP.
1. Sore throat
Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about, usually passing within a week.
But if you're experiencing discomfort or pain, a pharmacist can definitely help you out and get to the bottom of what's causing your sore throat.
Pharmacists can treat people aged five and over for a sore throat under Pharmacy First, according to .
In most cases, a virus will be the culprit behind your scratchy throat, but bacterial infections and allergies may also be to blame.
A pharmacist may advise you use painkillers, medicates lozenges or throat sprays, or they may be able to prescribe you medication if you need it or refer you for further tests.
You should try and see your GP about your sore throat if it doesn't improve after a week or you keep being plagued by it.
2. Earache
Children will often be plagued by earaches and thankfully you can take your little one to pharmacist for it if they're aged between one and 17.
It's worth seeing a pharmacist about an earache if you're getting "very intense pain that's not alleviated by simple pain relief", NHS GP Dr Sara Kayat previously told The Sun.
If you notice a reduction in your hearing and tinnitus - a high pitched ringing or buzzing sound inside your ear - then it's a sign to get your earache seen to.
You should see a GP about your little one's earache if it persists for more than three days or they keep getting it.
3. Sinusitis
Sinusitis - swelling of the sinuses usually caused by infections or allergies - can be caused by an infection as well as allergies.
Symptoms can include:
- Pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
- A blocked or runny nose
- A reduced sense of smell
- Green or yellow mucus from your nose
- A high temperature
You may also notice a headache, toothache, bad breath and a feeling of pressure in your ears.
It can take up to four weeks to get over sinusitis, but a pharmacist can take a look if you're aged 12 or over.
4. Shingles
Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash.
The first signs tend to be pain and tingling in an area of your skin, as well as a headache or feeling generally unwell.
The blotchy, blistery rash should follow a few days later.
The NHS recommends you called NHS 111 as soon as possible if you think you have shingles, but you can also get your symptoms seen to via Pharmacy First if you're 18 and over.
5. UTIs
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria entering the bladder, urethra or kidneys.
A key sign of the infection is burning or stinging when you pee.
You might find yourself peeing more frequently and your urine might become darker in colour, cloudy or start to smell, Dr Sara previously said.
"You may notice some blood in the urine and pains in the supra-pubic area - the bit at the lower part of your tummy - or even in your back," the GP added.
"Things that you really need to be wary of are if you then start to become feverish, the back pains become more prominent or if you become unwell with it."
When you should call NHS 111 or go to A&E
NHS 111 is the best place to get help if you cannot contact your GP or if you urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a non-life-threatening situation.
If you're not sure if you need to go to A&E, you should get hep from NHS 111.
You should visit an A&E department for genuine life-threatening emergencies, such as:
- Loss of consciousness
- Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
- Chest pain
- Breathing difficulties
- Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
- Severe allergic reactions
- Severe burns or scalds
- Stroke
- Major trauma such as a road traffic accident
Less severe injuries can be treated in urgent care centres or minor injuries units.
Source: NHS
You can get a UTI seen to by a pharmacist under Pharmacy First as long as you're aged between 16 and 64 and the infection is "uncomplicated".
This encompasses the "bog standard" UTI symptoms, such as "the burning, the stinging, the passing urine more frequently", according to Dr Sara.
"But when you start getting significant back pain associated with it, if you start noticing that you're unwell, if you're getting a fever, then that can all indicate that it's become complicated, which essentially means that it could be travelling up towards the kidneys," the GP warned.
"That needs more immediate treatment," she stated, meaning you should see a GP promptly or go to hospital.
"Obviously GPs will try and treat it initially but in some cases it does need to be seen in the hospital," Dr Sara explained.
6. Infected insect bites
Insect bites tend to be more of a nuisance during the warmer months, but you might get nibbled on by a creepy crawly during wintertime too.
You don't usually need to get a bite seen to unless it gets infected.
Dr Sara said: "With an infected insect bite, that red lump starts to either get bigger or the redness starts to spread.
"It can then start to become painful and increasingly itchy and sometimes it can also create pus and discharge."
If you notice these red flags, see a pharmacist.
Anyone can get treatment for them under Pharmacy First over the age of one.
7. Impetigo
Impetigo is the final condition that can be treated under Pharmacy First.
This is a skin infection which - though not serious - can be quite contagious.
It's more common in young children and causes red sores or blisters that burst, leaving crusty golden-brown patches on the skin that resemble cornflakes.
These can get bigger and spread across the body, sometimes becoming itchy or painful.
How Pharmacy First is going...
CCA and NHS data show that patients have so far used Pharmacy First in a seasonal way.
For example, more people sought out consultations for sore throats and earache around wintertime.
Almost a third (30 per cent) of all consultations have been for UTIs each week.
Sore throats were the reason for 28 per cent of consultations, while 13 per cent concerned insect bites, 12 per cent ear infections, 9 per cent sinusitis, 5 per cent impetigo and 3 per cent shingles.
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA said: “In a short space of time, the community pharmacy sector has established a new access route into NHS primary care.
"Pharmacy First is allowing patients to be seen in a timely manner and freeing up vital GP capacity, so that they can focus on more acute and complex care.
"There is, however, still significant room for growth.
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"An expanded service could free up 40 million GP appointments – over four times as many as we estimate the current service will free up – and around a tenth of all GP appointments.
"It’s clear that Pharmacy First is working as intended but the NHS must now allow us to now move through the gears and expand the service to deliver greater patient access into primary care.”
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