Dorset pharmacy 'renamed' for national campaign
The West Parley dispensary's now called 'My child's got an itchy rash'
A Dorset pharmacy's been 'renamed' - to reflect the sort of ailment we could ask them about.
A sign saying 'My child's got an itchy rash' has gone up outside the Parley Cross dispensary in West Parley.
It's to highlight Pharmacy First, an NHS service where we can get prescriptions for certain conditions directly, without seeing a GP.
Since January 31st, pharmacists have been able to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) without the need for an appointment or prescription.
That's aimed at freeing up 10 million GP appointments a year across the country, and increasing public choice for accessing services.
The West Parley pharmacy is one of seven nationwide that's been chosen to have new signage to promote the changes.
Dr Kheelna Bavalia, Medical Director for Primary Care, NHS England South West, said:
“This is a great move to increase accessibility to healthcare for patients. We all live increasingly busy lives, and this gives people more options on how and where they access care.
“Community pharmacies already play a vital role in their communities and work closely with the general practices in their areas. In taking on these additional roles, this will offer more options for people with common conditions, and potentially free up thousands of GP appointments for those who need them most.
“In addition, our pharmacies in the South West are aiming to provide in excess of 250,000 blood pressure checks by Spring 2025. One in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, with many not even realising they do, so by carrying out these vital health checks, many lives could be saved.”