Pharmacy First service launches today across England
One in 20 patients in England had to wait at least four weeks to see their GP
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Millions of patients will no longer crowd emergency waiting rooms thanks to a new service where a pharmacist can offer treatment for a variety of illnesses.
The Pharmacy First service, which launched today across England, allows pharmacists to offer expert advice and provide medicines for seven common conditions.
Ear pain, impertigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, sore throat and urinary tract infections in women can now be treated through the innovative service designed to relieve pressure on the NHS.
NHS England hopes to free up up to 30 million GP appointments each year.
Figures published this month reveal that one in 20 patients in England had to wait at least four weeks to see their GP, while one in six had to wait two weeks or more.
The average number of patients currently cared for by a single GP in England is 2,290.
A survey conducted for Well Pharmacy reveals that 75% of people are likely to seek advice or treatment at a pharmacy when the service launches – 72% of men and 77% of women.
The Pharmacy First service, which launched in England today, allows pharmacists to offer expert advice and provide medicines for seven common conditions (File image)
Figures released this month reveal that one in 20 patients in England had to wait at least four weeks to see their GP, while one in six had to wait two weeks or more (File image)
Well, Britain’s largest independent pharmacy chain believes that between 60 and 70 per cent of its patients taking advantage of the new service will be women with a UTI, a painful infection that caused 1.8 million hospital admissions in England. in the last five years.
Well Pharmacy Superintendent Ifti Khan said: ‘We have spent the last few months training and preparing our colleagues for the rush of patients when Pharmacy First launches.
‘This truly innovative service will bring rapid and much-needed relief to millions of patients who have previously had to endure long delays to see their GP.
“From today, patients across England can literally think ‘Pharmacy First’ if they contract any of these common illnesses.”
The Association of Company Chemists says the initiative could fail unless GP surgeries are banned from hiring more pharmacists.
The trade body, which represents leading chains such as Boots and Superdrug, says there are now so many pharmacists working for GPs that they are struggling to recruit into their stores.
Ear pain, impertigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, sore throat and urinary tract infections in women can now be treated through the innovative service designed to relieve pressure on the NHS (image archive)
The NHS has encouraged GPs to recruit non-medical staff such as pharmacists, physiotherapists and paramedics in a bid to fill staffing gaps and ease pressure on GPs.
But the ACC is now demanding an immediate freeze on recruitment.
The shortage has raised rates for substitute pharmacies, increasing the cost of marketing and causing temporary closures, he added.
This is because pharmacies cannot open unless there is at least one pharmacist on site.
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said: ‘In trying to solve the GP shortage, the NHS has simply created a shortage of community pharmacists and increased the cost of providing care to the NHS.
‘This short-sighted “whack-a-mole” policy has been detrimental to both the community and hospital pharmacy sectors.
“Pharmacies are being asked to take on more and more workload to free up GP capacity, but to do this we need to get pharmacists back into pharmacies.”