From 31 January, pharmacies across England will be able to treat seven common conditions.

This means patients will be able to get treatment at the pharmacy instead of having to go to the GP for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65).

10,265 pharmacies, more than nine in ten of the total, will be taking part in the initiative.

It is hoped the change will make it easier and more convenient for people to access care, while at the same time, reduce pressure on GPs. The aim is to free up 10 million GP appointments every year.

The change is part of the NHS and government’s primary care access recovery plan, which committed to making accessing healthcare easier for millions of people.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “GPs are already treating millions more people every month than before the pandemic, but with an ageing population and growing demand, we know the NHS needs to give people more choice and make accessing care as easy as possible.

“People across England rightly value the support they receive from their high street pharmacist, and with eight in ten living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in areas of deprivation, they are the perfect spot to offer people convenient care for common conditions.

“This is great news for patients – from today you can pop into one of more than 10,000 high street pharmacies in England to get a consultation on seven common conditions including ear-ache, a sore throat or sinusitis at a convenient time, with many pharmacies open late into the evening.

“This is all part of major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care, with the health service determined to giving people more choice in how they can access treatment.”

Dr Claire Fuller, NHS medical director for primary care and the NHS’ lead GP in England, said: “This is a wonderful move to increase accessibility to healthcare for patients.

“We all live increasingly busy lives, and this gives people more options on how and where they access care. This will also relieve pressure on our hard-working GPs, freeing up millions of appointments for those who need them the most.”