Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
Local GPs and pharmacists have welcomed the positive impact a new way of accessing NHS treatments for common illnesses is already having for patients, just one week on from its launch.
The new Pharmacy First service launched at the end of January. It means highly trained pharmacists are now able to assess and treat patients for:
This is without the need for an appointment or prescription. If they have symptoms, patients can access the service by either being referred by their GP, or just walking in to a participating pharmacy.
More than 200 community pharmacies across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are providing the service.
More information is available from the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Community Pharmacy webpages.
Imran Mohammed, Director and Superintendent Pharmacist at Orchard Pharmacy in Mansfield, said patients were already benefiting from the new service by getting treatment quicker, giving GPs more time to focus on those with more complicated conditions.
He said: “We have already received several referrals from local surgeries and many patients have really benefited from this new Pharmacy First Service.
“A lot of the referrals that were previously being sent back to General Practice from the pharmacy were for acute sore throats and acute sinusitis; these are conditions that are now covered in the Pharmacy First Service, allowing patients wider access to care and for General Practitioners and clinicians to focus on the more complex cases.
“The role of community pharmacists has evolved hugely over the years; I feel the days of being ‘glorified shopkeepers’ are something from the past and we now need to showcase our skill set and be pioneers in service provision for our communities.”
The new Pharmacy First scheme follows the roll-out of a number of other health services that people can now get at many local pharmacies, including blood pressure checks and over-the-counter oral contraception for women.
Nottinghamshire GP, Dr Asifa Akhtar, who is GP Partner at Village Health Group, said: “We are really excited about this new initiative and working in collaboration with community pharmacists.
“Pharmacy First will allow patients to be treated for common conditions without the need to visit their GP. This, alongside the blood pressure and contraception services, will save GP appointments, allowing patients to access care quicker and more conveniently. We have always had positive experiences with community pharmacists and have developed good working relationships.”
Dr Dave Briggs, Medical Director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, added: “The Pharmacy First service recognises the increasingly important part pharmacies play within the NHS family.
“They are located on the high street and at the heart of our communities, making them both easily accessible and with convenient opening times to suit busy modern lifestyles, often allowing patients to be seen quicker by a highly trained healthcare professional.
“Pharmacy First is one of a number of ways in which we’re working hard to improve access to primary care, which also includes modernising telephony systems at GP Practices, providing more services through the NHS App and employing 600 extra nurses, physios, paramedics and other professionals at our GP Practices in the last five years.”
Further information about Pharmacy First is also available from the DHSC website.
