LOCAL MP WELCOMES LAUNCH OF ‘PHARMACY FIRST’ SERVICES

Edward Timpson, MP for Eddisbury, has welcomed the launch of the Government’s Pharmacy First approach, helping patients across Cheshire to receive care more quickly through improved use of our community pharmacies.

So far, 535 pharmacies in Cheshire and Merseyside have signed up to Pharmacy First, enabling pharmacists to put their medical skills and training to better use for patients. This will mean that patients across Eddisbury can receive treatment for seven common health conditions from their local pharmacy without the need to visit a GP or get a prescription.

Their pharmacist will be able to help with conditions including:

• sinusitis,

• sore throat,

• earache,

• infected insect bite,

• impetigo,

• shingles, 

• uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Following the assessment, the pharmacist can then supply prescription-only medicines—including antibiotics and antivirals—to treat the condition.

The new Pharmacy First approach will not only speed up access to essential care for patients but also help reduce pressure on local GP services by directing patients to more appropriate health services.

Backed by up to £645 million, 95 per cent of pharmacies across England have opted-in so far, meaning patients can receive care more quickly without waiting for a GP appointment.

The Pharmacy First approach builds on the other measures outlined in the Primary Care Recovery Plan last spring, including tackling the 8:00 a.m. rush by giving GPs new digital tools, and providing more GP staff and appointments.

In combination with the Primary Care Recovery Plan, Pharmacy First is expected to free up 10 million GP appointments per year by next winter, and give the public greater choice when deciding where and how they access healthcare.

The Government has made substantial progress on improving access to primary care—including meeting its manifesto pledge to deliver 50 million additional GP appointments since 2019, and recruiting record numbers of doctors and nurses for the NHS.

By sticking to the Plan, the Government is delivering on the Prime Minister’s pledge to cut NHS waiting lists, provide more care in the community, and ensure that patients receive the care they need when they need it.

Mr Timpson sought to reassure both patients and pharmacists in the House of Commons, asking the Minister for Public Health, the Rt Hon Dame Andrea Leadsom MP, upon the policy’s launch:

“My right hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that, across Cheshire and Merseyside, including my Eddisbury constituency, 535 community pharmacies will be starting the Pharmacy First initiative today. Particularly in rural areas, pharmacies are a lifeline for many people. Can she reassure patients of the clinical competence of pharmacists to make prescriptions, and can she reassure pharmacists on the issue of clinical liability?”

To which the Minister responded:

“I can assure my hon. Friend that pharmacists are highly skilled and better trained than ever before in this country. They are fully equipped to meet the demands of their new prescribing role.”

Edward commented afterwards:

“The pandemic put massive pressure on NHS services across Eddisbury, and as we continue to recover from the pandemic as a nation, patients must receive the care they need quickly and easily.

“I’m delighted that the Government has launched the Pharmacy First approach, using the skills of our pharmacists to treat more people in the community without the need for a GP appointment—as well as speeding up their access to care and reducing pressure on local GP services.

“At least 535 pharmacies have signed up to Pharmacy First across Cheshire and Merseyside.

“The Government is sticking to its plan to improve access to care and cut NHS waiting lists, delivering on the Prime Minister’s NHS priority so that everyone can access the treatment they need in a timely way.”

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, added:

“I’m determined to deliver faster, simpler, fairer access to healthcare for patients, and the expansion of Pharmacy First will mean patients can receive treatment for common conditions without needing to see their GP first.

“This is good news for patients and good news for the NHS. It will free up millions of GP appointments yearly, resulting in quick and effective treatment for patients at their local pharmacy.

“As four in five people live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, seeing their local pharmacist will be the easiest option for many. So this initiative will offer real patient benefits and help cut NHS waiting lists.”

The Government launched the Pharmacy First approach on 31 January 2024, which enables patients to receive treatment for seven common health conditions from their pharmacy without needing to visit a GP. Backed by £645 million, the new service will enable pharmacists to treat conditions including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo (a bacterial skin infection common in young children), shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, without the need for patients to see a GP or have a prescription. More than 95 per cent of pharmacies in England have opted in so far, with services available from the day of launch (DHSC, Press Release, 31 January 2024).

The Primary Care Recovery Plan was published in May 2023, and includes a package of measures to improve access to primary care. Over £1.2 billion of funding has been made available to the Plan to deliver measures, including digitising phone lines to end the 8:00 a.m. rush, launching our Pharmacy First approach, and streamlining the number of targets to be met by primary care networks from 36 to 5—freeing up time and money in GP services, and reducing demand. Together, these measures are expected to release up to 10 million appointments annually by 2024–25 (DHSC, Oral Statement to Parliament, 9 May 2023).

The Government has eliminated longer waits altogether by sticking to its elective recovery plan to speed up access to treatment and cut waiting lists. Waits of over two years have been virtually eliminated, and 18-month waits have been cut by over 90 per cent from their peak in September 2021—proving that the Plan is working and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority of cutting waiting lists (DHSC, Press Release, 31 October 2023).

The Government has recruited a record number of NHS doctors and nurses, delivering on its manifesto pledge to provide 50,000 more nurses as it cuts waiting lists and builds a better NHS. From November 2022 to November 2023, the Government recruited 6,656 more doctors and 20,738 more nurses, meaning there are now 45,220 more doctors and 69,685 more nurses working in the NHS since 2010, helping to cut waiting lists and deliver better care for patients (NHS England, Workforce Statistics, 25 January 2024).

The Government commissioned the first-ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, setting out a clear plan to grow the NHS workforce and put the NHS on a sustainable footing for the future. As part of the £2.4 billion long-term plan, the number of pharmacy and GP training places will increase by nearly 50 per cent by 2031–32. The pharmacy technician workforce will also be expanded to support the growth and transformation of the pharmacy workforce (NHS England, NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, 30 June 2023).

The Government has expanded the primary care workforce, meeting its manifesto pledge to recruit 26,000 more primary care professionals one year early, by sticking to the plan to speed up access to care and cut waiting lists. 26,000 more primary care professionals—such as dieticians and paramedics—have been recruited by GP practices since March 2019, meeting the Government’s pledge one year early (DHSC, Press Release, 18 May 2023).

The Government is delivering 250,000 more GP appointments each month, and has achieved its manifesto pledge to provide 50 million more GP appointments—making it easier to see a doctor and cutting waiting lists. In November 2023, the Government delivered 31.52 million GP appointments, compared to 31.27 million appointments in November 2022—an increase of 250,000 appointments—helping to cut waiting lists (NHS Digital, Appointments in General Practice, 4 January 2024; DHSC, Press Release, 30 November 2023).

The Government has a strong record of backing community pharmacies. Since 2019, the Government has overseen an increase of more than 5,800 registered pharmacists in England, and struck an historic five-year deal with the sector in 2019—committing nearly £2.6 billion per annum to the pharmacy sector (DHSC, The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, 22 July 2019; General Pharmaceutical Council, GPhC Registers data, December 2023).

Pictured - Edward Timpson, MP for Eddisbury.