James Wild MP welcomes new Pharmacy First scheme which will enable community pharmacists to help patients without the need for the patient to visit their GP.
This new scheme will support the Government's priority of cutting NHS waiting lists, helping patients receive the treatment they need faster.
172 pharmacies in Norfolk and Waveney have signed up to Pharmacy First so far, which enables pharmacists to utilise more of their medical skills and training. This will mean patients across North West Norfolk can receive treatment for seven common health conditions from their local pharmacy without the need to visit a GP or have a prescription. This will help to free up 10 million GP appointments nationally.
Pharmacists are now able to treat:
- Infected insect bites
- Shingles
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections
- Earache
- Impetigo
Your pharmacist will be able to help with infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, sore throat, earache, impetigo and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. Following the assessment, the pharmacist can then supply the prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals, to treat the problem.
This week, James Wild MP spoke in the House of Commons welcoming the new Pharmacy First Scheme which 172 North West Norfolk pharmacies have already signed up for.
Text of Speech:
James Wild MP:
"I join others in welcoming the new scheme. Will my right hon. Friend ensure, as part of the communications, that the NHS website is updated to show which pharmacies have signed up to Pharmacy First, and will she continue to encourage those that have not yet signed up to do so?"
Dame Andrea Leadsom:
"What is brilliant is that over 95% of all community pharmacies have signed up, including 172 in my hon. Friend’s area."
