GPs across the UK are under growing pressure from rising demand for minor illness appointments. Research commissioned by Asda Pharmacy reveals that 87% of doctors say this winter has been busier than usual for minor health concerns, with nearly a third (31%) spending more than an hour every day treating conditions that could be safely managed in pharmacies.
Crucially, 77% of GPs agree too many appointments are currently used for minor illness, while 75% believe wider use of Pharmacy First would help reduce waiting times and free up capacity for patients with more complex or urgent needs.
The challenge isn’t that people are seeking help unnecessarily, it’s knowing where to go. Half of UK adults (50%) aren’t aware which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy through Pharmacy First, and 22% admit booking a GP appointment for something a pharmacy could have handled, simply because they didn’t know they had the option.
To tackle this confusion, Asda Pharmacy is launching ISSUE IS, an awareness campaign designed to help families quickly recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice. ISSUE IS is a simple, memorable acronym covering common conditions pharmacists can treat:
I – Infected insect bites
S – Sore throats
S – Sinusitis
U – Uncomplicated UTIs
E – Earache
I – Impetigo
S – Shingles
By turning clinical guidance into a clear mental shortcut, ISSUE IS helps customers act with confidence and get treated sooner, without automatically booking a GP appointment.
Confusion around where to go first has real consequences. More than half of Brits (58%) say they delayed seeking treatment after being unable to get a GP appointment, even though a pharmacy could have helped. Meanwhile, 32% report long GP waiting times, 33% were told to call back another day for a same-day appointment, and one in seven (14%) have visited urgent care or A&E for minor symptoms.
Despite being a free NHS service available at Asda Pharmacy – offering expert clinical advice and NHS-funded treatment, including prescriptions – awareness of Pharmacy First remains low. Nearly half of adults (49%) had not heard of it before, while 11% couldn’t name a single condition pharmacists can treat.
To help drive change, Asda has partnered with TV doctor Dr Hilary Jones to encourage the public to rethink where they go first when everyday illness strikes.
Dr Hilary Jones said: “As a GP with my patients’ interests at heart, I’m passionate about telling them that there is a faster and more effective way to have many of their commonest medical conditions treated without the delay and frustration of having to fight for unnecessary GP appointments.”
“Asda‘s Pharmacy First approach means huge numbers of people can easily obtain the treatment they need for a host of ailments from highly trained pharmacists without the need for a doctor‘s prescription. The ISSUE IS acronym will go a long way to resolve so many unpleasant symptoms with a minimum of a fuss and delay.”
Faisal Tuddy, head of pharmacy, said: “When someone in the family feels unwell, knowing what to do next can feel like another decision in an already busy day. That mental load often leads people to default to the GP, even when faster, simpler care is available closer to home.”
“With more than 230 Asda Pharmacies across the UK, ISSUE IS gives customers a memorable way to recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice, making it easier to see a pharmacist quickly, get treated sooner, and ease unnecessary pressure on GP surgeries.”
For more information about Pharmacy First and to find your nearest participating Asda Pharmacy, visit asda.com/pharmacy or speak to a trained pharmacist in store.
