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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You can visit a pharmacist about seven common conditions rather than see a GP

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.

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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.

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