111 patients will be told to go to the pharmacy rather than bother GPs

PATIENTS who call 111 with seemingly minor illnesses are to be sent to pharmacists rather than GPs.

From December, anyone with a sore throat, earache, flu-like symptoms or indigestion will be told to go to their high street chemist. The pilot scheme will run across England until April 2018 and is designed to reduce pressure on GP surgeries. Family doctors are said to spend up to 40 per cent of their day advising patients with minor illnesses.

But it will raise fears that deadly illnesses will be dismissed as a minor cough and cold. The 111 helpline has been fraught with difficulties ever since its launch in 2013 and is manned by untrained call centre staff reading off a script.

Its failings were partly blamed on the death of one-year- old William Mead from sepsis in 2014, whose symptoms were confused with a cough.

And although pharmacists must complete a four-year degree, they are far less qualified than GPs, who have at least ten years training under their belts.

Under the pilot, call centre staff will instruct anyone needing repeat prescriptions straight to pharmacies. Officials believe it will eventually reduce the numbers of calls to NHS 111 by 200,000 a year as patients learn that they can be more appropriately dealt with by pharmacists.

David Mowat, the Community Health and Care Minister said: ‘Community pharmacists already contribute a huge amount to the NHS, but we are modernising the sector to give patients the best possible care.

‘This scheme will make more use of pharmacists’ expertise, as well as freeing up vital time for GPs and reducing visits to A&E for urgent repeat medicines.’

Keith Willett, Medical Director for Acute Care, NHS England, said: ‘Directing patients to go to a community pharmacy instead of a GP or A&E for urgent repeat medicines and less serious conditions could certainly reduce the current pressure on the NHS, and become an important part of pharmacy services in the future. This pilot will explore a sustainable approach to integrate this into NHS urgent care.’