NHS Minor Ailment Service: get help with common illnesses
If you need help with common illnesses (see list below), your community pharmacy may be able to assist you through the NHS Minor Ailment Service. The pharmacist will be able to provide you with professional advice and provide medicines for minor illnesses without you needing to see your GP.
Who can use this service?
Both adults and children can use this service if they:
- are registered with a GP surgery that is involved in delivering the service
- need treatment for a minor illness that is included in the local service
How to use the service
Contact your GP surgery, tell them that you think you might have one of the conditions covered by the NHS Minor Ailment Service and ask them to refer you to your local community pharmacy.
Someone from the pharmacy team at your local community pharmacy will then contact you to arrange an appointment to see the pharmacist for a private consultation and to see how they can help you.
What conditions are covered in the service?
The following conditions are included within the NHS Minor Ailment Service:
- Acute Cough
- Acute Fever
- Acute Bacterial Conjunctivitis
- Acute Pain/Earache/Headache/Temperature
- Athletes Foot
- Bites, Stings and Allergies
- Cold Sores
- Cold and Flu
- Constipation
- Cystitis
- Diarrhoea
- Dry Skin (simple eczema)
- Dermatitis/Allergic type Rashes
- Earache
- Ear wax
- Hay Fever
- Heartburn/Indigestion
- Headlice
- Mouth Ulcers and Teething
- Nappy Rash
- Oral Thrush
- Scabies
- Sore Throat
- Sprains and strains
- Sunburn
- Threadworm
- Vaginal Thrush
- Warts and Verrucae