What happened in this Health story?

NHS England is expanding its Pharmacy First scheme this autumn to let pharmacists treat five more common conditions — migraines, acne, scabies, ear infections and badly blocked noses — adding to the seven already covered, in a bid to divert patients from overstretched GPs and A&Es.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**NHS England** is adding five conditions — migraines, acne, scabies, ear infections and badly blocked noses — to its Pharmacy First scheme this autumn, expanding on the seven conditions pharmacists can already prescribe for, including sore throat, sinusitis and UTIs.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Burnham** said people were "fed up with the scramble for routine appointments" and framed the expansion as giving families back "precious time" by letting them walk into a local pharmacy for treatment without seeing a GP.

England adds migraines and acne to Pharmacy First — SkimNews

By BBC Health · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-10

Get the Health newsletter

Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.

NHS England is adding five conditions — migraines, acne, scabies, ear infections and badly blocked noses — to its Pharmacy First scheme this autumn, expanding on the seven conditions pharmacists can already prescribe for, including sore throat, sinusitis and UTIs.
Burnham said people were "fed up with the scramble for routine appointments" and framed the expansion as giving families back "precious time" by letting them walk into a local pharmacy for treatment without seeing a GP.
NHS England said the move is designed to relieve pressure on GPs and A&E departments after what it described as a very hot summer and three of the busiest months on record for emergency departments in England.
Pharmacy First, launched in England in 2024, has delivered 14 million consultations to date, including 2 million for sore throats and 1.7 million for urinary tract infections, according to NHS figures cited in the report.
The rollout begins with a few hundred chemists before extending to thousands of community NHS pharmacies across England, with patients able to access the service via NHS111, GP referral or by walking into a high-street chemist.
National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg welcomed the expansion but warned pharmacies remain under "significant financial pressures" and said the government must invest more in the network to deliver the new plans.
Scotland already allows pharmacists to treat 27 different conditions and served as the model for England's scheme, while Northern Ireland and Wales also operate comparable pharmacy-based treatment systems.

Why it matters: With Pharmacy First having already handled 14 million consultations since 2024 and A&E departments recording three of their busiest months on record, NHS England is betting that tripling the list of walk-in treatable conditions will materially shift patient flows away from GP surgeries and emergency rooms — but pharmacy leaders say the existing funding doesn't cover the workload the expansion demands.