This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS 111 to refer fewer patients to out-of-hours GP, DH plans suggest
New plans announced by the Department of Health (DH) indicate the NHS 11 will be referring less patients to GP out-of-hours services and A&E.
The DH said that GPs spent almost 40 per cent of their time advising patients on minor ailments. However starting from December, NHS 111 will send patients requiring urgent repeat prescriptions, or suffering minor issues like ear aches, sore throats or bites, straight to a community pharmacy instead.
Instead pharmacies will be given direct powers to hand out medicines to patients who have run out, without the approval of a doctor, as long as their surgery has put the prescription on repeat.
The DH said NHS 111 currently receives 200,000 calls each year from patients needing urgent prescriptions.
The plans suggest that GPs would be kept informed about their patients' medication via the Summary Care Record, which is in the process of being rolled out to community pharmacies nationally.
The pilot has already been trialled in the North East, where the DH said it had been ‘positively received by patients and supported the resilience of the local urgent and emergency care system’.
David Mowat, Community health and care minister, commented: “Community pharmacists already contribute a huge amount to the NHS, but we are modernising the sector to give patients the best possible quality and care.
“This new scheme will make more use of pharmacists’ expertise, as well as freeing up vital time for GPs and reducing visits to A&E for urgent repeat medicines.”
Professor Keith Willett, medical director for acute care at NHS England, said: “Directing patients to go to a community pharmacy instead of a GP or A&E for urgent repeat medicines and less serious conditions, could certainly reduce the current pressure on the NHS, and become an important part of pharmacy services in the future.
“This pilot will explore a sustainable approach to integrate this into NHS urgent care.”
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