The new service would have meant an injection of significant new funding of £1.5million each year which would have greatly increased the income for pharmacists, enlarged the range of services available to patients and helped ease the burden on GPs.
The purpose of the minor ailment service is to provide patient self-care arrangements through access to a safe and high quality pharmaceutical service, to utilise the skills of community pharmacists and to free-up GP appointments for those patients who need to see a doctor.
A limited minor ailments service had been in operation since 2005. The scheme provided pharmaceutical advice and treatment for those who suffer minor ailments such as coughs, colds and hayfever and who do not normally pay prescription charges. In addition to these the new service which began on 1 August 2008 offers six new condition areas.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety said that whilst disappointed the Minister remained committed to providing a minor ailments service from community pharmacies.
The spokesperson said: “The Department regrets that this service will no longer be available to the majority of patients who have used it over the last few years. The original service provided excellent benefits to patients, as well as to pharmacists and GPs and the enhanced service would have brought further benefits to all concerned.
“The opportunity for pharmacy contractors to provide the enhanced service is still available and the Department welcomes that some contractors have decided to provide the new enhanced service to patients.
“We know that patients value this service and will benefit greatly from the improved access to a range of additional therapy areas. Those contractors who currently are not providing the enhanced service are encouraged to give the matter further consideration and elect to provide a service, supported by substantial new funding, which expands the professional role of the pharmacist and improves patients’ access to advice and treatment for a range of minor ailments.
“Patients with these minor ailments are advised to continue to consult their local pharmacist for advice and purchase of ‘over the counter’ medication to treat their symptoms or to visit their GP.”
Notes to Editors:
1. The original NI Minor Ailment Service included Cough and Colds and hayfever and began as a pilot project in the Craigavon and Banbridge locality in 2003. It was extended to a NI-wide service in November 2005. An enhanced version on which the current enhanced service is based has been piloted successfully in Craigavon and Banbridge.
2. The purpose of the Minor Ailment Service is to provide patient self-care arrangements through access to a safe and high quality pharmaceutical service, to utilise the skills of community pharmacists and to free-up GP appointments for those patients who need to see a doctor.
3. This offer was made against a background of difficult contract negotiations which have been ongoing since 2004 within a framework which has been agreed between the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety and pharmacy contractor negotiators.
4. The new enhanced service offered in a limited number of pharmacies enables patients to avail of advice and medication for
- Coughs and colds
- Hayfever
- Head lice
- Diarrhoea
- Dhobie Itch
- Athlete’s Foot
- Vaginal Thrush
- Threadworms
5. Media enquiries to DHSSPS Press Office 028 9052 0579 or out of hours 07699 715 440
