Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has taken recent steps to increase the range of services available in pharmacies in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Havering.

Pharmacies across England, including in Romford and the London Borough of Havering, can already choose to deliver a wider range of services in the National Health Service including for example providing advice on newly prescribed medicines for long term conditions, blood pressure checks, oral contraception consultations and minor illness referrals from general practitioners (GPs), NHS111 and urgent and emergency care. In early 2024, we will expand this service offer in community pharmacy and launch Pharmacy First which will enable community pharmacists to manage seven common conditions including the supply of prescription-only medicines without a prescription from a GP. The seven conditions are sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.