The NHS is aiming for two million people to get their prescriptions via a pharmacy in 2023/24, rising to seven million in 2024/25 as awareness of the service grows. Up to half a million people will also be able to self-refer for key services, including physiotherapy, hearing tests, and podiatry, without seeing their GP first. Pharmacy blood checks for people suffering from moderate risk of heart attack or stroke will more than double from 900,000 last year to 2.5 million next year. The number of women getting their contraception from a pharmacy rather than a GP will increase to 500,000, with the aim of one in four doing so by 2024. The new plan, backed by £645 million over two years, will expand pharmacies to allow them to provide prescriptions for seven conditions – sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections – without patients needing a GP appointment.

He will claim the switch from GPs to pharmacies will free up 15 million appointments within two years as the pharmacy initiative is allied to a £240 million package to train receptionists to refer patients to chemists if appropriate and upgrade phone systems so no one gets an engaged tone when they ring their local surgery. On a visit to meet GPs on Tuesday, Mr Sunak, whose mother was a pharmacist, is expected to hail the plan as evidence that he is “getting on with” delivering his five priorities with reform of primary care a key part of his pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists. The Prime Minister has faced a backlash over the loss of more than 1,000 council seats with Tory MPs and defeated councillors blaming problems with the NHS, the failure to deliver the benefits of Brexit or offer tax cuts and fears of uncontrolled housebuilding. The move to reduce GP waiting lists and end the “8am scramble” for appointments is part of a relaunch by Mr Sunak to revive Tory fortunes following the party’s heavy losses at the local elections. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will announce that up to seven million patients a year suffering from conditions such as sore throat, earache and shingles will be able to get prescriptions directly from pharmacies without a GP appointment. Patients suffering from any of seven common conditions will no longer need to see a GP to get treatment under plans by Rishi Sunak to free up millions of family doctor appointments.

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