From February 2024, patients across the North East and Yorkshire can now get treatment for seven common conditions at their high street pharmacy without needing to see a GP, as part of a major transformation

in the way the NHS delivers care.

Almost 95% of pharmacies in the region will be offering the ground-breaking initiative, with the health service making it easier and more convenient for people to access care.

Highly trained pharmacists will be able to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) without the need for an appointment or prescription.

The major expansion of pharmacy services will give the public more choice in where and how they access care, aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year.

The scheme is part of the NHS and Government’s primary care access recovery plan, which committed to making accessing healthcare easier for millions of people.

People can find their local NHS pharmacy at: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Pharmacists  are now able to assess and treat patients for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women under the age of 65, without the need for a GP appointment, following a successful pilot across the North East and North Cumbria.

The rollout builds on the successful ‘ByeByeUTI’ pilot scheme across North East and North Cumbria which saw thousands of women receive faster and easier access to advice and treatment for urinary tract infections.

Since the pilot scheme began in July 2022, over 30,000 women have been treated for uncomplicated urinary tract infections at local pharmacies, giving more choice in where and how they access care whilst also freeing up tens of thousands of GP appointments at the same time.

Ewan Maule, Director of Medicines & Pharmacy at North East North Cumbria ICB, explains more below.

Earache

Over a million children aged 1 to 17 years across Yorkshire and the Humber are now benefitting from a new pharmacy scheme where they can get treatment for earaches (acute otitis media) without needing to see a GP.

By giving patients the option to see their local pharmacist for conditions they may have previously needed to see a GP for, we are giving more choice in where and how they access care whilst also freeing up millions of GP appointments every year.

Blood Pressure Checks

As the expansion of pharmacy services continues to grow, we want to remind people that community pharmacies offer a blood pressure check service. The service is open to people over the age of 40, who live in England and haven’t previously been confirmed as having high blood pressure. It’s completely free and you don’t need to see a GP.

In England, there are over eight million people diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as heart disease, strokes and kidney disease.

All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years, and with more than 1,700 pharmacies across our region, it’s quick and easy to get yours checked.