86% of people agreed that GP and A&E appointments should only be used when needed

According to a survey of two-thousand and thirty-five people, carried out by PureProfile on behalf of PAGB, thirty-one per cent of people are more likely to visit a pharmacy first before seeking help elsewhere. At the same time, eighty-six per cent agreed that GP and A&E appointments should only be used when needed.

The survey also discovered that sixty-nine per cent of respondents were more likely to consider self-care as their primary option, and thirty-two per cent stated that the pandemic had changed their approach to the way they use NHS services.

Chief Executive of PAGB, Michelle Riddalls, stated: “If every one of those people surveyed chose self-care instead of seeing their GP or going to A&E, we estimate that the potential saving to the NHS could reach more than seven-hundred and eighty million pounds a year. It would also free up healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care to focus their time and expertise on individuals with more serious or long-term health conditions. We have a unique opportunity after the coronavirus pandemic to embed these positive changes and make the NHS more sustainable for years to come.”

A Pharmacist in Winchester and fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Deborah Evans, stated: “Pharmacies have played a central role in helping people to care for themselves during the coronavirus pandemic. We have remained open throughout as the front door to the NHS, supporting people in person or over the phone.”

Director of NHS services for the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, Alastair Buxton, stated: ”The sector has long advocated for a ‘pharmacy first’ approach and, whilst it is unfortunate that this change in behaviour is the reaction to a global pandemic, it is a useful step in cementing pharmacy’s role in the future of the NHS.”