Patients spend at least 6 million hours in A&E with minor conditions – pharmacy leaders

At least 6 million hours of time in Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E) was taken up last year by patients with issues that could have been treated in a community pharmacy, new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has found.

This includes patients going to A&E with blocked noses, common colds, acne and requesting routine medication.

The NPA found that £215 million is wasted a year treating patients with minor ailments in A&E that have the potential to be safely and quickly dealt with by their local pharmacist.

The NPA have argued this saving could be higher if the clinical role of pharmacies were expanded by the NHS.

Concerning new analysis by the NPA of NHS England data into conditions treated in accident and emergencies (A&E) in 2023/24 found that:
· 325,000 people visited A&E with a sore throat or a cold, costing the NHS £44 million that year alone.
· 62,000 people visited A&E with nose bleeds and 18,000 with blocked noses, whilst 40,000 people visited A&E with eczema and 1,000 attended with acne.
· A number of patients also attended A&E with conditions that can be treated through the Pharmacy First initiative. This included 18,000 patients with infected insect bites and 196,000 urinary tract infections.

Freeing up time in A&E could help the government hit its 4 hour wait target and help those who are acutely unwell receive potentially life saving treatment more quickly, pharmacy leaders are arguing today.

The NPA are urging the government to use the imminent publication of the NHS 10 Year Plan to ‘turbo charge’ the role of community pharmacy to free up time that is currently being spent in other parts of the health system.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously said he wanted to use the 10 Year Plan to deliver a ‘transformational shift from hospital to community’.

The NPA say taking steps such as expanding the number of conditions in the Pharmacy First programme could help take pressure away from overcrowded A&E departments.
As well as this, the NPA have called for improved signposting from the NHS 111 service to direct more patients with minor ailments to their pharmacy or GP, not a hospital.

In England, pharmacists can currently supply prescription only and pharmacy medicines for seven common conditions without a patient having to see their GP, including infected insect bites, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

The NPA are calling on the government to include additional conditions, such as constipation, diarrhoea and certain bacterial skin infections, to bring it into line with the service in Scotland.

As well as this, the NPA is calling for much greater awareness campaign for services such as Pharmacy First to encourage greater usage of pharmacy as a first port of call for certain health conditions for patients.

Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:

“Of course people with serious injuries should go to A&E but it should be a place for emergencies not the first place to go when faced with a minor ailment. Our analysis clearly shows a substantial number of visits to A&E could be better managed in a local pharmacy. This would be more convenient for patients, who could be treated in minutes on their doorstep and save substantial time and money in one of the busiest parts of our NHS. The government has a once in a generation opportunity to use the 10 Year Plan to turbo charge the role of community pharmacies who, properly funded, have a vital part to play in creating a neighbourhood health service. Investment in more clinical services in pharmacies will not only help to end the 8AM scramble for a GP appointment but also help get patients out of hospitals and into the community. Pharmacies still face considerable funding pressures which need resolving and investment in them is key if the government are to shift care to people’s local communities.”