Think ‘Pharmacy First’ urges medical chief.

For fast NHS treatment this summer people should look to their local pharmacies first to ease the stress on health services.

Medical Director of the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, Dr Sunil Hindocha (pictured), urges residents to think ‘Pharmacy First in a column for the United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULH) – published below.

As we move into the school summer holidays we always see a large influx of holidaymakers to our wonderful county as well as local residents getting our and about in the warm weather.

Both of these things are fantastic for our local economy, but not always so good for our local health services, which can feel the strain of increased attendances.

This summer, residents across Lincolnshire are being encouraged to visit their local pharmacy as the first port of call for quick and easy treatment of common health conditions, thanks to the NHS ‘Pharmacy First’ service.

This will, in turn, help relieve pressure on our busy GP surgeries and urgent care services while ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time.

Available without an appointment, the convenient Pharmacy First service provides expert healthcare advice and treatment from trusted pharmacists.

Under the scheme, people of all ages can receive fast NHS treatment for conditions which don’t require a GP or hospital visit, including:

• Sinusitis (aged 12+) – blocked nose, headaches, facial pain
• Sore throat (aged 5+) – pain, swelling, difficulty swallowing
• Ear infections (aged 1-17) – ear pain, fever, discharge
• Infected insect bites (aged 1+) – swelling, redness, pus
• Impetigo (aged 1+) – red sores, blisters, crusting skin
• Shingles (aged 18+) – painful rash, blisters, burning sensation
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (women aged 16-64) – pain when urinating, frequent need to pee.

People often forget that pharmacies are a fantastic first point of call for a wide range of minor conditions. Pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals and are often the absolute best person to speak to, to get the advice and treatment that you need quickly.

Not only can they support with prescriptions on the spot, but they are also able to signpost into and help you to access other NHS services if needed.

At the same time, we still have a raft of other urgent service available to you when you need them, which includes the NHS 111 service, the Waitless app which offers waiting time, queue numbers and travel-time to urgent care facilities in the county, our amazing GP surgeries, as well as Urgent Treatment Centres and hospital Emergency Departments for when your problem is very acute.

So, this summer, we encourage everyone in Lincolnshire to think ‘Pharmacy First’ and make the most of this valuable NHS service. It is available at participating pharmacies across the county, to find your nearest participating pharmacy, visit www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy/