Pharmacies can help with health concerns

COMMUNITY pharmacists – like all our NHS staff – have been working incredibly hard throughout the pandemic so that the NHS can deal with the pressures it is facing and I’d like to thank pharmacy teams across the Midlands for the role they have played in that. The NHS is doing all it can to ensure patients get the help they need in the right place and at the right time, regardless of whether they access NHS services by calling NHS111, using NHS111 online, by speaking to their GP practice or by visiting a community pharmacist.

Community pharmacies are among the NHS’s most trusted, accessible but also underestimated services, as many people simply don’t realise the incredible range of support and advice that pharmacies offer locally – often without the need for an appointment.

If you’re experiencing a minor health concern, I would urge you to consider speaking to your local pharmacy or visit NHS111 online first, rather than calling your GP or turning-up to an accident and emergency department.

Richard Seal, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s lead pharmacist for

the Midlands