Somerset pharmacist shares concerns about new NHS plan

New NHS England plans aim to free up 15 million GP appointments over the next two years

Pharmacies say they are already struggling to remain open as plans for pharmacists to prescribe some common medicines are announced.

The NHS England plan - which would also allow patients to have some routine tests at their pharmacy - aims to ease pressure on busy GPs.

The move aims to free up 15 million GP appointments over the next two years - around 2% of the total.

But a Somerset pharmacist says pressure on pharmacies is growing daily.

Mike Hewitson said: "We want to do more to take the pressure off of general practitioners, but the plans do not address the chronic underfunding of the sector.

"Every day, the pressures on pharmacies grow," he added.

What will pharmacists be able to prescribe?

Pharmacies will take on the prescribing of drugs for seven common ailments:

earache

sore throat

sinusitis

impetigo

shingles

infected insect bites

uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women

Women will be able to get oral contraceptive pills direct from pharmacies too.

NHS England confirmed pharmacy services would get £645m over the next two years to boost staffing and resources.

But Mr Hewitson said the amount of funding did not make up for "a significant shortfall" in cash.

Michael Lennox, CEO of Community Pharmacy Somerset, said the county's 103 pharmacies were struggling to stay open.

He said: "We have had three closures already this year. There are a lot of pharmacies for sale at the moment in the county, if nobody buys those we are down to 88 pharmacies.

"That is quite a dramatic reduction."

Talking about the plan, Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, told the BBC's Today Programme: "We know this works. We've seen it work in local schemes, and similar schemes are operating in Scotland and Wales."