See how you can ‘jump the GP queue’ for certain health conditions by getting a private consultation at your local pharmacy as five million Brit patients have done so far
Five million patients have had a consultation with their pharmacist instead of their GP since an NHS scheme to take pressure off family doctors.
NHS England leaders are calling on more patients to take advantage of the ‘Pharmacy First’ initiative which means chemists see people in the first instance for seven common ailments. Sore throat is the condition which has most been dealt with by having a sit-down chat with a chemist with 836,000 people treated for it this way in its first year.
Some 2.4 million patients were able to receive a consultation with their chemist without booking – having just turned up.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England’s Director for Primary Care, said: “The NHS is determined to help make people’s lives easier and that’s why we want to encourage pharmacy use. When people are unwell they want quick and easy care and that’s why being able to pop into your pharmacy on a high street on your way home from work or while you pick up some essentials at the shops is so important.”
The Mirror is campaigning to save family chemists and stop the closures which are piling pressure on overstretched GPs. The National Pharmacy Association said it means the network of pharmacies in 2025 is at its lowest in 20 years. One in ten pharmacies have closed in the last decade.
Labour delivered the first real funding increase for the pharmacy sector since 2014, investing £617 million over two years, linked to expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme. It means people with seven common conditions can go straight to a pharmacist for the conditions sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, the bacterial skin infection impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: “After years of neglect, we inherited a pharmacy sector on the brink of collapse and delivered the first real funding increase since 2014. This service is providing timely care without the need for GP appointments – a true Neighbourhood Health Service.
“I want to thank all pharmacy staff for their dedication in making this possible. As we deliver our Plan for Change to rebuild the health service, pharmacies will remain a priority, so people get the care they need close to home.”
The Pharmacy First data covering February 2024 to March 2025 showed chemists delivered the most consultations for acute sore throats (835,679) followed by uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) (665,409). The Pharmacy First scheme was launched across England in January 2024 amid a crisis in accessing NHS care after GP numbers plummeted during the previous decade of Tory rule. A similar programme had been running in Scotland since 2020.
With private consultation rooms available, pharmacies were enrolled to offer treatment without a prior appointment. Pharmacists undergo five years of training in medication use and managing minor health issues.
Pharmacies will also begin offering women the ‘morning-after pill’ in England free of charge at pharmacies for the first time ever later this year.
David Webb, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, said: “I’d like to thank pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and all the staff who are employed in pharmacies for their hard work in providing high quality clinical advice and care to more than five million people.
“Pharmacy is a critical element as the shifts NHS care from hospitals to the community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital. The 78,000 registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England are skilled professionals who operate in the heart of the NHS and their communities and are highly trusted by the public.
“The recent additional investment underscored the importance of community pharmacy as an integral part of the NHS team, providing clinical care, optimising the use of medicines and supporting people in their neighbourhoods to prevent ill health.”
To use the NHS Pharmacy First scheme in England you can self-refer by contacting your local pharmacy. To book an appointment in advance click HERE to find your pharmacy and call them or you can just turn up to enquire if they can do the appointment straight away. You can also be referred by a GP practice or NHS 111.