Pharmacy scheme not a sticking plaster, say MPs

Liam Byrne said he wanted Pharmacy First to go even further

MPs have praised a new NHS scheme which enables patients to get medication for seven common conditions at a pharmacy without needing to see a GP.

Earlier this week, it was reported pharmacies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire were among those rolling out the Pharmacy First initiative.

Suzanne Webb, Conservative MP for Stourbridge and Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, both backed the idea.

It was announced in November last year before being launched on Wednesday.

Pharmacy First aims to ease pressure on doctors working in the NHS in England.

Rather than having to see a GP, patients will be able to contact their pharmacist directly for illnesses including shingles and sore throats.

The MPs were in agreement on the issue of the new NHS scheme

Mr Byrne said that despite teething problems he believed it was a good idea.

He explained he would like to see pharmacies dispensing a wider range of medicines at a time when pressures on hospitals and GP surgeries was high.

Her also said people had ended up at his local Heartlands Hospital after being unable to see a community doctor, leading to some of its A&E's busiest nights ever.

"This is a good start," he said.

"Ultimately we've got to get more of our care out of hospitals into doctor surgeries and into pharmacies as well."

'Obvious' solution

Ms Webb added it meant people with minor ailments had somewhere to go, rather than clogging up A&E's and GP phone lines.

"It's not a sticking plaster," she said. "It's very much the obvious thing to do."

However, pharmacists have warned the sector faces financial and staffing pressures.

Matt Webster, head of retail operations at Peak Pharmacy in Worcestershire, said: "Although we are pleased that Pharmacy First has launched, the additional funding provided is mostly offset by the additional time.

“Our funding from the NHS has been frozen for five years while costs, demands and expectations have continued to rise."

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire said it was working closely with community pharmacies to develop its existing workforce.