A&E, 111 or a pharmacy?

The short version

Headache, sore throat, allergies: go to a pharmacy first. No appointment, no registering, and you walk out with the medicine. Save GP appointments for things that really need one.

Pharmacy First: prescription medicine for seven conditions

According to the NHS, most pharmacies can give you prescription medicine without you seeing a GP for these seven common conditions: impetigo (aged 1+), infected insect bites (aged 1+), earache (aged 1 to 17), sore throat (aged 5+), sinusitis (aged 12+), urinary tract infections in women (aged 16 to 64) and shingles (aged 18+). The pharmacist updates your GP record, and your information isn't shared with anyone else.

Three steps

1. Pop into your nearest pharmacy and describe your symptoms to the pharmacist (coughs, colds, aches and pains: you can ask about any of it).
2. If it's covered by Pharmacy First, they'll assess you and give you the medicine there and then. If it isn't, the pharmacist will tell you whether to book a GP appointment or call 111.
3. Not every pharmacy offers every service, so if you're not sure, ring ahead first.

Example: mouth ulcers (per the NHS)

Cooking for yourself and living on takeaways, mouth ulcers are one of the most common minor ailments students get. The NHS says: they clear up on their own in a week or two, and there's no quick fix. What a pharmacy can give you: antimicrobial mouthwash, a painkilling tablet, mouthwash, gel or spray, corticosteroid lozenges, and salt-water rinses. None of these need a prescription. What you can do yourself: use a soft toothbrush, eat soft food and drink cool drinks through a straw; avoid very spicy, salty or acidic food and anything hard or crunchy, and don't use toothpaste containing SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate). If it hasn't healed in 3 weeks, is bigger than usual, is right at the back of your throat, or bleeds and hurts more, see a dentist or GP. The NHS is clear that ulcers that won't heal need checking. Effervescent vitamin tablets (vitamin C, B vitamins) are a supplement, not a treatment the NHS lists. Take them if you like, but don't expect them to cure an ulcer.

Where people slip up

• Battling for a GP appointment for something minor. Appointments are scarce, and you'll be better by the time you get one. Pharmacies are designed to be the first stop for exactly this.
• Thinking pharmacies only sell medicine. Pharmacists are clinically trained; you can ask them for advice on medicines and side effects.

Step by step in pictures

Real screenshots of NHS pages, with headers and footers hidden. Unofficial; the official site always takes precedence.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These are scripts, not facts. The phrases are our own wording. For the actual rules, see "Register with a GP", "Gynae problems: sexual health clinic, GP or A&E?" and "Toothache? Don't wait it out".

The short version

When people get stuck seeing a doctor, it's rarely the rules. It's actually saying the words: you can't get through on the phone, you can't explain yourself at reception, you can't answer 111's questions. Each card has three parts: the situation / what you say / what they might say back, and how you reply. Save them on your phone and read them out.

Card 1 · Phoning to book a GP appointment

• The situation: the phone lines are hardest to get through on the moment the surgery opens in the morning. If it's engaged, keep redialling.
• You say: Hello, I'd like to book an appointment with a GP, please. My name is ..., date of birth ...
• They might say: What is it regarding? / Is it urgent? You reply: It's about ... (your symptom in one sentence). It's been ... days. It's not an emergency, but it's getting worse. / It's urgent, I'm in a lot of pain. (It's up to you to say how urgent it is. Say "urgent" and you'll usually be seen that day or the next; say "routine" and you could wait a week or two.)

Card 2 · Asking for an interpreter (free)

• The situation: you're worried you won't follow the medical words.
• You say: Could I have an interpreter for the appointment, please? [Your language]. (NHS trusts provide interpreters by phone, in person or by video. Ask when you book, not when you turn up.)

Card 3 · At reception

• You say: Hi, I have an appointment at ... with Dr .... My name is ...
• They might say: Take a seat, the doctor will call your name. You reply: Thank you. Could you tell me how to pronounce the doctor's name? / Which room?

Card 4 · With the doctor (three lines is plenty)

• Lead with the main thing: My main problem is ... It started ... It is getting worse / the same / better.
• Say what's worrying you: I'm worried it might be ...
• Pin down what happens next: What should I do next? Do I need a referral? When should I come back? (Before you leave, always ask: What are the next steps? Skip it and you'll have forgotten by the time you're out the door.)

Card 5 · When you don't understand

• You say: Sorry, could you say that again more slowly? / Could you write that down for me, please?
• Then ask: Could I take a photo of that? (Snap any drug names or diagnoses the doctor writes down.)

Card 6 · Calling 111 (no registration, 24 hours a day)

• The situation: the surgery's shut, you're not sure whether you need A&E, or toothache is keeping you up all night.
• You say: Hello, I need medical advice. My name is ..., date of birth ..., postcode ... My problem is ...
• They might say: a run of checklist questions (can you walk, have you got a temperature, how bad is the pain, what have you taken for it). You reply: answer honestly, and if you don't know, say "I'm not sure". Don't play your symptoms down: 111 decides how urgent you are from your answers.
• The callback: 111 can take a few hours to ring back, possibly in the middle of the night. Keep your phone off silent.

Card 7 · Flagging warning signs at A&E reception

• You say: I have sudden severe pain and I feel faint. / I've taken ... and it's not helping. (The triage nurse puts people in order based on what they say. If you have any of the warning signs in step 4 of "Gynae problems: sexual health clinic, GP or A&E?", say that exact word.)

Three lines that work anywhere

• I'm sorry, my English isn't very good. Could you please speak slowly?
• Could you write that down, please?
• What are the next steps?

Where people trip up

• Making something urgent sound routine: you end up waiting two weeks.
• Asking for an interpreter on the day: ask when you book.
• Leaving without asking about next steps: then realising at home you didn't follow it.
• Treating the scripts as rules: the factual guides have the actual rules.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.