NHS Pharmacy First expands with £340 million boost after 3.3 million consultations

What is the background?

NHS Pharmacy First launched on 31 January 2024, letting community pharmacists treat common conditions without a GP appointment. NHS Pharmacy First 2026 covers seven conditions: sore throat, earache, sinusitis, shingles, impetigo, infected insect bites, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

What happened?

On 29 May 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care announced a £340 million investment to expand the scheme. Five additional conditions will be added from autumn 2026, alongside a push to get more pharmacists qualified as independent prescribers.

The announcement came alongside new usage figures: pharmacies delivered 3.3 million Pharmacy First consultations between March 2025 and February 2026, a 43% increase on the previous 12 months. Patients reported a positive experience in 86% of consultations.

How did it happen?

The expansion builds on a wider shift toward independent prescribing in community pharmacy. From 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists are trained as independent prescribers, allowing them to diagnose and prescribe NHS medicines without GP sign-off for a wider range of conditions.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said: “Independent prescribing will play a major part in delivering this shift — easing pressures on GPs, cutting unnecessary red tape and helping patients get the right care closer to home.”

Dr Amanda Doyle of NHS England said the investment would “help make better use of the clinical expertise within our community pharmacy teams,” while David Webb, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, called it “great news for patients that community pharmacists will for the first time be able to prescribe NHS medicines across a range of health conditions.” Janet Morrison OBE of Community Pharmacy England described it as “a generational opportunity to expand the care that pharmacies can provide to patients.”

Why does it matter?

Every Pharmacy First consultation is one that did not need a GP appointment, freeing capacity for patients with more complex needs. The 43% year-on-year growth in consultations suggests patients are increasingly choosing pharmacies as a first point of contact for minor conditions.

Not every pharmacy offers every service at the same times, so patients benefit from checking which local pharmacies provide independent prescribing, travel vaccines, or specific NHS services before visiting, particularly as the range of treatable conditions grows this autumn.

What were the key results?

• £340 million investment announced 29 May 2026 to expand NHS Pharmacy First
• 3.3 million Pharmacy First consultations delivered March 2025 to February 2026
• 43% increase in consultations compared with the previous 12 months
• 86% of patients reported a positive experience with the service
• Five additional conditions to be added to the scheme from autumn 2026
• Seven conditions already covered: sore throat, earache, sinusitis, shingles, impetigo, infected bites, and UTIs
• All newly qualified pharmacists now trained as independent prescribers from 2026

What happens next?

NHS England plans to confirm the five new conditions covered under Pharmacy First ahead of the autumn 2026 rollout.

The Department of Health and Social Care will monitor consultation volumes to assess whether the expansion further reduces GP referral rates.

Community Pharmacy England said it will continue raising concerns about business rates and staffing costs alongside the service expansion.

NHS England expects independent prescribing capacity to keep growing as more newly qualified pharmacists enter the workforce through 2027. Households can complement Pharmacy First access with a stocked home first aid kit* for treating minor injuries before deciding whether a pharmacy visit is needed.