Pharmacies to be able to prescribe medication under plans to free up GP appointments

Published

2 years ago

May 9, 2023

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Patients will be able to receive prescription medicines and oral contraception without seeing a GP under new plans to ease the strain on surgeries.

It is hoped the measures – which could be rolled out across England as soon as this winter – will help to free up 15 million slots at doctors’ surgeries over the next two years.

Under the proposals, pharmacists will be able to write prescriptions for common conditions including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infections without needing the approval of a GP.

The measures – which are part of what ministers are calling an “overhaul of primary care” – are backed by £645m of spending over two years and come alongside efforts to end the 8am “rush” for appointments.

They are being announced just days after the Conservatives suffered from a punishing set of local election results on the back of high inflation, a cost of living crisis and record high levels of unhappiness with the NHS.

Ministers hope almost half a million women would no longer need to speak to a nurse or GP to get oral contraception under the new plans and that the number of people able to access blood pressure checks in pharmacies would be more than doubled to 2.5 million a year.

PM promises to ‘work day and night’ after Tories lose over 1,000 seats – politics latest

Self-referrals will also be increased for services including physiotherapy, hearing tests and podiatry, bypassing the need to see a GP.

The proposals could be in place this winter pending a consultation with the industry.

The prime minister said “transforming primary care is the next part of this government’s promise to cut NHS waiting lists”.

“I know how frustrating it is to be stuck on hold to your GP practice when you or a family member desperately need an appointment for a common illness,” he added.

“We will end the 8am rush and expand the services offered by pharmacies, meaning patients can get their medication quickly and easily.”

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the reforms would “help us to free up millions of appointments for those who need them most, as well as supporting staff so that they can do less admin and spend more time with patients”.

Steps are being taken to make it easier for patients to see GP – but they may feel short-changed

The government’s Primary Care Plan wants to do two things at once: make it easier for patients to access their GP and to take pressure off GPs so they can manage their patient lists better.

But by doing the former they might be making the latter worse – unless the workforce crisis in primary care is resolved.

A recent survey said seven out of ten GPs found their jobs to be extremely stressful and another found that more than a third of GPs want to quit within five years.

This recruitment and retention issue needs to be addressed urgently.

The government says it will provide £240m for primary care to update existing telephone systems so more calls can be taken, clinically assessed and directed to most appropriate treatment.

This will not always be a GP. It might be a practice nurse or speciality inside a community health team.

There is a perception that GPs do not see enough patients. But the data for March shows 70% of GP appointments were seen face to face.

And primary care doctors will tell you they are seeing more patients than ever before as patient lists continue to grow.

Another step will be to train GP receptionists to become ‘clinical navigators’ so they can field calls and clinically assess the patient and refer the caller to the best service.

This might ease some patient anxiety but it will require a cultural shift in mindset. People expect to see a doctor and feel short-changed if they do not.

Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised the announcement as “merely tinkering at the edges” and said it did not deliver the “fundamental reform” the NHS needs.

He pointed to figures from the Chemists’ Association which reveal that 670 pharmacies and 343 surgeries have closed since 2015.

Mr Streeting said: “13 years of Conservative failure has seen hundreds of pharmacies close and 2,000 GPs cut.

“Now millions of patients are waiting a month to see a GP, if they can get an appointment at all. Expecting the Conservatives to fix this is like expecting an arsonist to put out the fire they started.

“Rishi Sunak is completely out of touch with the problems facing patients and the NHS. He has no plan to address the shortage of GPs, or to reverse the cut in the number of doctors trained every year.

“The Conservatives’ announcement is merely tinkering at edges, in contrast to the fundamental reform the NHS needs and Labour is offering.”

Mr Streeting said Labour would abolish the non-dom tax status and use the proceeds to train an extra 7,500 doctors and 10,000 nurses every year.

The idea of giving pharmacists the power to prescribe without GP approval is not new.

Therese Coffey, who was health secretary during the short period of Liz Truss’s premiership, floated plans to enable pharmacies to manage and supply contraception prescriptions last September.

She also pledged that patients would see a GP within two weeks of making an appointment – although she did not set a target for when that should be achieved by.

UK

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales

Published

37 mins ago

June 18, 2025

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MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales

MPs have voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, abolishing the prosecution of women for terminating their pregnancy at any stage, passed by 379 votes to 137.

It represents the biggest shake-up in reproductive rights for almost 60 years.

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who tabled the so-called “New Clause One” (NC1), said it would ensure women do not face investigation, arrest, prosecution or imprisonment in relation to any pregnancies.

She said the current “Victorian” laws had been used against vulnerable women, citing cases such as Nicola Packer, who was prosecuted on suspicion of having an illegal abortion. She was found not guilty in May.

“Nicola’s story is deplorable, but there are many others,” Ms Antoniazzi said.

Abortion in England and Wales is currently a criminal offence but is legal with an authorised provider for up to 24 weeks after conception. The procedure is allowed after this time in very limited circumstances.

It is also legal to take prescribed related medication at home if a woman is less than 10 weeks pregnant.

Ms Antoniazzi said NC1 was “a narrow, targeted measure” that would not change how abortion services were provided or the rules under the 1967 Abortion Act.

She said: “The 24 [week] limit remains. Abortions still require the approval of signatures of two doctors, and women would still have to meet the grounds laid out in the Act.”

The MP said that meant healthcare professionals “acting outside the law and abusive partners using violence or poisoning to end a pregnancy would still be criminalised, as they are now.”

She added: “This piece of legislation will only take women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and they need our help.

“As I have said before, and I will say it again, just what public interest is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end.”

The change will not come into effect immediately as the Crime and Policing Bill is still making its way through Parliament.

A separate amendment, put forward by Labour MP Stella Creasy, went further with a measure to “lock in” the right of a person to have an abortion while protecting those who help them.

However, her amendment was not voted on because Ms Antoniazzi’s passed, as expected.

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, speaking against both amendments, described them as “not pro-woman” and argued they “would introduce sex-selective abortion”.

How did MPs vote?

MPs were given a free vote on the amendment, as is typically the case with so-called matters of conscience.

A breakdown of the vote showed it was passed overwhelmingly by Labour and Lib Dem MPs.

Just eight Conservative MPs voted in favour, while all Reform UK MPs opposed the amendment, with the exception of the party’s leader Nigel Farage, who abstained.

Sir Keir Starmer was not present for the vote as he is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, but said earlier that his “longstanding in-principle position is that women have the right to a safe and legal abortion”.

The issue of women investigated by police over suspected illegal abortions has been in the spotlight due to several recent high-profile cases.

Ms Packer was cleared by a jury last month after taking prescribed abortion medicine at home when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks.

In the Commons, Ms Antoniazzi cited another case of a young mother who was jailed for two years after she was forced to take illegal abortion medication by her abusive partner. He was never investigated.

UK

UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England

Published

13 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued for most of England – with temperatures forecast to hit highs of 33C (91F) this weekend.

Only the North East and North West are exempt from the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) latest warning, which comes into force at 12pm on Wednesday and expires at 6pm on Sunday.

The alert indicates that people with pre-existing health conditions, and those aged over 65, could be at higher risk.

Forecasters say the East of England is likely to see the highest temperatures, which wouldn’t be far off the June record of 35.6C (90F) set in 1976.

According to the Met Office, it will get progressively warmer as the week progresses – with the heat peaking on Sunday.

Deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said thundery showers may be possible heading into Saturday morning, with “tropical nights” a possibility as parts of the UK approach heatwave territory.

The forecast means we are likely to see the hottest day of the year so far – eclipsing the 29.4C (85F) recorded last Friday in Suffolk.

In a delicious twist, ice cream makers have said “it’s their Christmas time”, with some making fresh supplies around the clock.

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US-UK trade deal ‘done’, says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

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US-UK trade deal 'done', says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

The UK-US trade deal has been signed and is “done”, US President Donald Trump has said as he met Sir Keir Starmer at the G7 summit.

The US president told reporters in Canada: “We signed it, and it’s done. It’s a fair deal for both. It’ll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”

Sir Keir said the document “implements” the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, describing it as a “really important agreement”.

“So this is a very good day for both of our countries – a real sign of strength,” the prime minister added.

Mr Trump added that the UK was “very well protected” against any future tariffs, saying: “You know why? Because I like them”.

However, he did not say whether levies on British steel exports to the US would be set to 0%, saying “we’re gonna let you have that information in a little while”.

What exactly does trade deal being ‘done’ mean?

The government says the US “has committed” to removing tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on UK aerospace goods, such as engines and aircraft parts, which currently stand at 10%.

That is “expected to come into force by the end of the month”.

Tariffs on car imports will drop from 27.5% to 10%, the government says, which “saves car manufacturers hundreds of millions a year, and protects tens of thousands of jobs”.

The White House says there will be a quote of 100,000 cars eligible for import at that level each year.

But on steel, the story is a little more complicated.

The UK is the only country exempted from the global 50% tariff rate on steel – which means the UK rate remains at the original level of 25%.

That tariff was expected to be lifted entirely, but the government now says it will “continue to go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”.

The White House says the US will “promptly construct a quota at most-favoured-nation rates for steel and aluminium articles”.

Other key parts of the deal include import and export quotas for beef – and the government is keen to emphasise that “any US imports will need to meet UK food safety standards”.

There is no change to tariffs on pharmaceuticals for the moment, and the government says “work will continue to protect industry from any further tariffs imposed”.

The White House says they “committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes”.

Mr Trump also praised Sir Keir as a “great” prime minister, adding: “We’ve been talking about this deal for six years, and he’s done what they haven’t been able to do.”

He added: “We’re very longtime partners and allies and friends and we’ve become friends in a short period of time.

“He’s slightly more liberal than me to put it mildly… but we get along.”

Sir Keir added that “we make it work”.

As the pair exited a mountain lodge in the Canadian Rockies where the summit is being held, Mr Trump held up a physical copy of the trade agreement to show reporters.

Several leaves of paper fell from the binding, and Sir Keir quickly stooped to pick them up, saying: “A very important document.”

The US president also appeared to mistakenly refer to a “trade agreement with the European Union” at one point as he stood alongside the British prime minister.

Mr Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on countries in April. At the time, he announced 10% “reciprocal” rates on all UK exports – as well as separately announced 25% levies on cars and steel.

In a joint televised phone call in May, Sir Keir and Mr Trump announced the UK and US had agreed on a trade deal – but added the details were being finalised.

Ahead of the G7 summit, the prime minister said he would meet Mr Trump for “one-on-one” talks, and added the agreement “really matters for the vital sectors that are safeguarded under our deal, and we’ve got to implement that”.