Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of minor ailment clinics in reducing demand for GP services.

Minor ailments schemes, clinics and services are commissioned locally according to need and have been developed in areas of high demand on general practice to treat minor illness.

NHS England and clinical commissioning groups commission minor ailment services from community pharmacy to meet local need. These services are reviewed locally by the commissioner of the service. NHS England monitors availability of these services as part of their preparedness for winter.

The Government has also been encouraging self-care through its ‘Stay Well this Winter’ campaigns further driving people with self-limiting minor ailments to pharmacies as the first port of call where appropriate.