Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to promote the use of primary care services for non-emergency health issues.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five year deal sets out the vision for how community pharmacy will support the NHS Long Term Plan by being better integrated into the National Health Service, delivering more clinical services, and becoming the first port of call for minor illness. Through the deal we have set up referral systems for minor illness from NHS 111, 111 Online and general practitioner (GP) practices to community pharmacy who are well equipped to deal with minor health conditions, providing advice and support for self-care. Referrals from Urgent and Emergency care settings will be introduced in March 2023.

In addition, in general practice we have expanded the range of professions employed so that patients with more minor or less urgent conditions can access the right advice and care whilst ensuring that GPs’ time is spent with patients that they are uniquely qualified to treat.