After a series of acrimonious local elections, the prime minister has unveiled plans to ‘transform’ primary care in England so that chemists will be able to write prescriptions for certain conditions.
Under new plans, patients will be able to obtain prescription medications and oral contraception without seeing a general practitioner.
The reforms, which might be introduced across England this winter, could free up 15 million appointments over two years.
According to the proposals, chemists will be allowed to write prescriptions for common ailments such as earache, sore throat. And urinary tract infection without the approval of a physician.
The measures, which are part of what ministers call an “overhaul of primary care,” are supported by £645 million in expenditure over two years and are accompanied by efforts to end the “rush” for appointments at 8 a.m.
They were unveiled days after the Conservatives suffered embarrassing local election defeats due to high inflation. A cost of living crisis, and record-high NHS discontent.
Ministers anticipate that nearly half a million women will no longer need to communicate with a nurse or general practitioner to obtain oral contraception and that the number of people who can access blood pressure checks in pharmacies will more than double to 2.5 million per year.
Self-referrals will increase for services such as physiotherapy, hearing examinations, and podiatry, eliminating the need to see a general practitioner.
The proposals could be implemented this winter pending industry consultation.
The prime minister stated that “transforming primary care is the next step in fulfilling the government’s pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists.”
“I understand how frustrating it is to be placed on hold when you or a family member urgently require an appointment for a common illness,” he continued.
“We will end the 8 a.m. rush and expand pharmacy services to help patients get their medication quickly.”
Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of the NHS, stated that the reforms would “help us to free up millions of appointments for those who need them most, while also enabling staff to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time with patients.”
Wes Streeting, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, criticized the announcement as “mere tinkering around the edges” and stated that it does not provide the “fundamental reform” the NHS requires.
Since 2015, the Chemists’ Association has reported that 670 pharmacies and 343 medical practices have closed.
Mr. Streeting stated, “After 13 years of Conservative failure, hundreds of pharmacies and 2,000 general practitioners have closed.
Millions of patients now wait a month to see a primary care physician, if they can even get an appointment. Expecting the Conservatives to solve this is akin to expecting a pyromaniac to put out a fire he started.
“Rishi Sunak has no understanding of the problems confronting patients and the NHS. He has no plan to address the general practitioner shortfall or the annual drop in physician training.
In contrast to the fundamental reform that Labour has proposed for the NHS, the Conservatives’ announcement is merely cosmetic.
Millions of patients now wait a month, if they can even get an appointment, to see a primary care physician.
Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the plan was “not worth the paper it was written on”, adding, “The Conservatives have broken their promise to recruit 6,000 more GPs, leaving patients unable to receive the care they require when they need it.”
Access to quicker care is essential for patients, but ministers do not appear to comprehend the scope of the problem.
The concept of chemists being able to prescribe without a doctor’s sanction is not novel.
Last September, Therese Coffey, who served as health secretary during the brief tenure of Liz Truss as prime minister. Proposed allowing pharmacies to administer and supply contraception prescriptions.
She also promised that patients would see a general practitioner within two weeks of scheduling an appointment. Although she did not specify a deadline by which this would be accomplished.
